Questionable Romance
by LumBabsFan
Summary: To gain favor with their king and queen, a noble family offers the gift of a faithful servant. Meanwhile, their son sends his show girl lover in order to save his future marriage.
1. Chapter One

**Questionable Romance**

_Beauty and the Beast characters © Disney; __Original Characters © Faith_

_Inspired by and dedicated to "the boss"._

_Chapter One_

Paris, la ville d'amour. It was the city of love, life, and culture even in the days of centuries long since past. Every corner and winding road was filled with everything one could possibly imagine, from refreshment to merriment and of course, the arts. From street performers to grand theatres of reputation and honor, there was constantly something to satisfy the need of visual entertainment.

This was certainly not one of them, Lumière thought, standing by the box door and studying the aristocratic family he served.

It was more amusing to watch each of them as they observed the opera that night in their own distinct ways than to watch the performance itself. While the mistress, the Comtesse de Bontecou, listened intently to every note that flew from the prima diva's lips to her ears, her husband, the old Comte, quite eagerly awaited the dance acts. Finely tuned ballet melodies playing as young ladies gracefully fluttered about the stage in flimsy skirts and tight bodices. Come to think of it, maybe the night was not a complete bore after all, Lumière thought with a smirk, finding himself sharing the Comte's enthusiasm for those particular moments as one had just begun.

If only Lucien had remained awake a few minutes more, Lumière inwardly laughed. Perhaps then he would not have been seated behind his parents, his head lulled back with his mouth hanging open as he slept, obviously suffering from a severe case of ennui. Lumière shook his head with a smile; the man was sure to be kicking himself later on when the faithful valet told him what he had missed.

Despite each holding the titles of "master" and "servant", the two young men had been best friends since they were knee high. When they were little, Lumière was deemed a simple companion as he kept Lucien busy and out of the way of his parents' important matters, but as time went by, he was officially deemed the de Bontecou's boy's valet. Everywhere Lucien went, Lumière was made to follow, and with such a strong friendship already between them, neither one of them minded whatsoever.

As the ballet reached its ending moments later, so did Lumière's attention. Allowing his eyes to wander once again, he looked around to the nearby boxes, trying to see if there was anyone he knew. His eyes fell on the Comte Rodel de Solange, attending that evening with his daughter, Nicolette, Lucien's betrothed. Sitting beside the young lady was Jolie, her maid, someone that Lumière could honestly say he was most acquainted with. After a few shared smiles, he subtly gestured to the door, grinning in delight as he saw the girl nod and excuse herself into the hallway.

Quietly, Lumière politely asked the elder de Bontecou, "If Monseigneur will excuse me, I must see to an urgent matter outside."

The Comte replied knowingly, not averting his eyes from the stage. "A lady friend, you mean?"

Lumière could not suppress a grin. "You know me too well. May I?"

The older man, glancing at his sleeping son, shook his head with a smile. "If it means one of us will enjoy this evening, I do not see any harm in excusing you for a few minutes."

Lumière's grin spread wide across his face. "Monseigneur is too kind; a few minutes it is, no longer."

Gently closing the door behind him, Lumière tread softly through the lavishly decorated halls of the opera house, stopping only when he caught a glimpse of two daintily feminine feet waiting inside a cozy nook. Walking to the other side of the hall, discreetly turning to confirm who the feet belonged to, he smiled as his gaze met Jolie's.

Jolie was such an alluring little nymph, just ripe enough to be plucked from the garden of girlhood, and Lumière had had his heart set on her for the past few months. Since Nicolette was sent often to the de Bontecou household for her official courtship with Lucien, Jolie, of course, had to accompany her. As the master and mistress courted one another, so did their companions.

Taking her willing hand, Lumière gestured her to follow, quickly leading Jolie outside into the privacy of an alley, before hungrily making his first playful attack.

"I never thought the opera could be this interesting," he teased, reaching for her waist but missing his target when she moved away.

"Indeed, to think the mistress almost did not come," Jolie giggled, staying put to let him catch her on his second attempt.

"I can not tell you how glad I am that she did," he murmured, trailing his kiss along her arm towards the softness of her bared neck.

"I have strict orders to follow her everywhere," she replied, gathering his face in her hands. "I must not disobey them."

Playfully pinning her against a wall, Lumière smirked, "Respectable quality in our line of work; obeying orders as well as you do."

"Not exactly the quality I was thinking of right now."

Lumière recognized that all too familiar expression that he was convinced every woman knew and constantly perfected. Need, desire, and a tease blended together, forcing a surrender to her every demand, even if it was just a moment's worth of pleasure.

"Obedience?" he teased, sliding his hands behind her back. Grasping the dress' cloth tightly, he pulled her closely against him.

Jolie's breathless whisper was all it would take for Lumière to lower every defense, and one hand fervently darted for her skirts.

"Respectability."

* * *

Lucien snorted, completely awake minutes later after an uncomfortable beating of his mother's fan.

"You can wake up now!" the Comtesse scolded. "You have officially wasted an entire evening! We pay good money for this box, and you use it as an extension of your bedroom!"

Lucien rolled his eyes discreetly, as he stood to stretch himself into a comfortable standing position.

"My apologies, Mother; won't happen again," he said mechanically, looking around as the family exited the box.

Lumière was nowhere in sight, and Lucien laughed under his breath, reminding himself to poke fun at him. The only time the man left his side was when there was a female involved, and sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed. He glanced down the hall only to see Nicolette's maid composing herself a bit before rejoining her mistress. Lumière was at his side a few moments later, right on schedule.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, casual and calm as if nothing had happened.

Lucien looked towards Jolie one more time before he replied. "Obviously not; she appears to be rather satisfied."

"_Quite_ satisfied," Lumière enforced, eyeing his latest affection with delight, as they began to leave. "Dieu Merci for daytime performances; I swore we would continue tonight when your family attends the dinner."

Lucien halted in place. "The dinner…tonight?"

Lumière turned to him. "Yes, the dinner before you leave next week? Official marriage preparations? The first of many important gatherings related to the engagement?"

"I _know_ that!" Lucien hissed. He paused for a moment, as if to think, before he shrugged, a plotting expression taking over his young features. "Suppose they will have to miss me then; simply tell them I am ill or tired and can not go."

Lumière sighed. "This is the hundredth time that you have forced me to lie for you. Yes, I am your friend, and no, I will not tell them the truth. But do you know exactly what can happen to me if I am caught lying?"

"I rarely see you worry this much," Lucien said. "It is not natural. Since when are you, of all people, so afraid of being caught?"

"I know what I can get away with," Lumière answered.

Lucien shouted a quick order to a stable boy for their horses. Both of them traveled about by their own means of transportation, hardly ever seen in the de Bontecous' coach since the day they turned sixteen a few years ago.

As they waited he continued. "How many times have you ever been caught in a lie?"

"Never," Lumière responded immediately.

"Never been discovered when you are with a woman that you want to keep quiet about?"

"It is not the same," Lumière argued. "There, I can give different excuses."

Lucien nodded. "And no one doubts you!"

As the boy left them their horses, Lumière scowled as he followed Lucien's actions and climbed on his own. "How many more times will anyone believe that you are not feeling well?"

Lucien gave his horse a kick as Lumière did the same. "As many as I need you to tell them," he answered.

"I ask you once again," Lumière began seriously. "Do you honestly understand what can happen to me if they find out I am lying for you? As much as I appreciate your friendship, you are a noble, and I am your servant."

"There you have it. You are _my_ servant and therefore, nothing bad will happen to you," Lucien promised. "Lumière, please. I will not cancel my plans tonight, I can't. I only have this week and next week before we leave to…attend an important meeting." While Lumière shook his head, he added, "I will make it up to you; you have my word."

Lumière frowned. "If you do not go to the dinner, then there is no reason for me to go. Jolie will never speak to me again…but if you can not cancel…"

Lucien smiled as he trailed off in defeat. "Then it is settled. Simply make my apologies to Nicolette; she will understand. I should have been at my meeting some time ago."

"I thought you said it was tonight," Lumière said, not expecting to have to think quickly so soon.

Lucien smiled. "As per the theme of our conversation, I lied." Breaking his horse into a run, he called over his shoulder, "Do not forget!"

* * *

_A/N: Yes, I have returned with a new story! Justsome important notes. 1) None of this story would be possible without my fave fellow writers helping me out SO much: Trudi, Klaske, and Valerie, love you guys! This story is as much yours as it is mine. 2) I know I already did a beginning fanfic, but this was completely sparked by a simple story a fave actor and good friend of mine had to share. As I have his "blessing" to interpret it, I could not pass it up. I swear, it's unlike anything you may have read in Book I of my trilogy. Hope you guys enjoy it as it continues._


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two_

As picturesque as the city could be during the day, life for many did not begin until the sun set to make way for the moon. The stars lit up the sky just enough to awaken the delightfully sinful pleasures that were Paris by night, tucked away until they could rise to play in the darkness.

Pulling gently on his horse's reins, Lucien halted the animal, dismounting to tie it to a post. Ahead of him was a road, so narrow that it was almost unnoticeable. For the first few steps, all remained quiet, but Lucien grinned with anticipation as he went on, hearing the familiar sounds of merriment ahead.

During the day, no one paid any heed to this tiny path, but once the bell tolled the evening hours, every young man came in search of it. At the end was a destination of freedom and thrills, a pleasant escape from their busy lives. Young and old alike knew it well, the infamous _Le Fleur Noir_.

Glancing around as he entered, Lucien took in the scene before him; the lively dance hall was abuzz with music and laughter. Glasses of wine and mugs of ale were handed off left and right, already dousing the patrons' senses before the girls were turned loose. Regulars obnoxiously demanded their presence as some new young pups huddled in the corner hardly able to believe they had escaped their dormitories to be there. Typical busy night, Lucien mused sitting at his usual table.

"Ah, the young Vicomte de Bontecou! A pleasure to see you, as always!" a shrill voice called over the din.

Lucien sighed in disgust, but put on his best false smile as he turned to find Madame D'Araignée, the proprietor of _Le Fleur Noir_, rushing to his table. Kind and courteous with her customers, but snobbish and cruel behind turned backs with her girls; the old toad was the very model of a two-faced wretch.

"The pleasure is very much mine," he replied, trying to suppress his repulsion as he kissed her aging hand respectfully.

D'Araignée clumsily curtsied as she asked, "The usual girl tonight? I am certain she will be happy to see you."

Lucien bit his tongue to prevent any callousness in his tone in defense of said lady. His lover or not, the girl was not a common whore.

"Absolutely, madame," he said. "If you could please tell her I am here, I would appreciate it."

"But of course, mon cher vicomte, right away!" D'Araignée replied with promise.

Turning on her heel, the old woman made her way through the growing crowd to a door, upon which hung a worn sign "Privé" ("Private"). Beyond it was a long corridor that had seen cleaner days, more doors lining it, each only a couple of feet apart. As she passed every doorframe, D'Araignée pounded her bony hand on them.

"You little trollops, get a move on!" she shouted. "With every drink they have, those fools get more impatient! Time and money are wasting!"

Within minutes, the passageway filled with girls, D'Araignée accounting for each of them as they made their way to the main room. But despite the enthusiastic cheers and whistles greeting them, she was not content, and stormed down the corridor again. When she reached the farthest door, she tried to open it, only to find it locked, and she angrily hammered her fist against it.

"Un moment!" a frustrated voice answered from the other side. "I will be right there!"

"Two minutes!" D'Araignée yelled. "You know you have the first dance tonight, and your best caller is here! Hurry now!"

* * *

"Our finest wine, Monsieur le Vicomte."

Lucien startled from his reverie as a serving girl placed the glass in front of him and poured the richly colored wine.

"Merci, Cecile," he said, clearly distracted as his anxious eyes swept over the room. Before the girl could leave, Lucien reached to stop her. "Cecile, Babette is here this evening, yes?"

Cecile was about to respond when a slow haunting melody filled the air, mixed with whoops and hollers of leering men.

"Of course she is," Cecile laughed. "Has the first dance, she does!"

Lucien was too captivated with the crowd's center of attention to hear her reply, hardly noticing that she walked away afterwards. A week at a time was too long a wait for this, he thought, sipping his wine without averting his eyes.

Out on the floor, a young woman slowly swept a coy, mysterious gaze around the room. A scandalous ensemble of a corset bodice and loosened skirt covered her slim, curvaceous figure as she slowly glided in time with the notes. Lush, curled locks of her dark hair flowed between framing her gorgeous face and revealing a tempting display of her bared shoulders. Even more exciting, every now and then, she would permit her lecherous onlookers a generous display of her ankle, sometimes higher.

Since the moment he had first stepped foot inside the dance hall, the stunning beauty, Babette by name, enamored Lucien. As he was the son of a well-known and respected family, many young ladies were brought into his company, all of whom were admittedly pretty and sweet. Each and every one was born and bred to be demure, polite, and—to be blunt—virginal, making them all a bore in his mind.

But in the dark mystery of _Le Fleur Noir_, there was Babette, a new, unique kind of female, unlike any of those he knew. She was a beguiling vision, a sensual woman who was not shy in the ways of love and desire. She knew everything that she wanted, how to get it, and offered the most sensational form of gratitude in return.

But before Lucien could reminisce any longer, the dance ended to resounding applause, and Babette instantly headed in his direction. A group dance was to follow, and she reached for his hand, beckoning him to join her. Needless to say, he did not hesitate at all.

Drawing her close, Lucien nuzzled behind her ear. "Has my lady missed me as much as I longed for her?"

Babette wrapped her arms around his neck, her palms soothingly running over the top of his back. "You have no idea, mon cher; a week is an unbearable eternity," she sighed. "You must come by more often."

"If it were possible, I would," Lucien breathed, caressing the sides of her waist. "You must know how much I want to."

"Then why don't you?" Babette asked, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. They were such a perfect shade of green, not too dark yet not too light. "Every noble knows that his son must have a little fun now and then."

"Do not spend our entire time teasing, I beg you."

Babette smirked. "Well, that is definitely the first time I have ever heard that before; normally you are begging me to tease you."

Lucien finally granted his hands permission to slide below her hips, gripping her skirt as well as anything it covered. "There are two kinds of teases. Your kind is the more preferred method, and one to which I shall never object."

Laughing softly, Babette took his hand, quickly leading him to one of the back rooms, and locking the door. No sooner was that complete then they returned to each other's embrace, a deep kiss sealing them as one.

"Promise me…" she purred.

"Anything," he insisted, grasping her dress in his fists and tugging on it in desperation. "_Everything_."

"Promise me that you will not leave next week," she pleaded, her hands already ridding him of his coat and working on buttons and ties.

Lucien gripped her wrists, retreating to look at her. "Babette, don't do this; I told you, I have to go."

She pouted, rather adorably. "Every week is too long now; two years of this Grand Tour silliness will be torture!"

"Has anyone ever told you that patience is a virtue?" he asked.

"Yes, but the both of us know that I am not a virtuous woman," Babette replied, her grin making her the perfect image of a young coquette.

"One of the many things about you that I adore, of course," Lucien agreed. "But I must go; it is an honor to have the opportunity to do so."

Babette pulled away, turning her back on him with a huff. "Men and their honor! Meanwhile, we women turn into old maids waiting to be first in your lives!"

Lucien sighed, but moved in close behind her, rubbing her shoulders gently. "We only have tonight and next week, ma chérie; do you truly want to waste it acting like this?"

She leaned back against him despite her protests. "I can act however I want to."

His one hand took to her arm while the other drifted to the front ties of her dress. "Mon coeur…"

A gasp escaped her throat as her head lulled back to his shoulder, and Lucien seized the chance to gather her into his arms. Placing her down on the small chaise lounge, he grinned leaning down to kiss her; Babette wrapped him into a tight embrace in reply.

"I am going to assume that means 'hush up and love me'?" he asked.

Babette giggled under her breath. "More or less."

"Then I gladly accept the invitation," Lucien grinned, reaching to finish off the ties he had started moments ago.

* * *

Sitting on the beautifully carved stone front stairs at the entrance to the de Bontecou chateau, Lumière stared at a small piece of paper by the light of the rising sun. Creased and slightly worn, it was obvious to anyone who might have been nearby that the note had been crumpled and reread a number of times. The disappointment of his absence last night at the dinner had been Jolie's last straw, if she even had any doubts about him before. Had he wronged her before the cancellation? Whether he did or not, at that moment, he could not remember.

Wrapping his coat around his shoulders a little tighter, the early morning chill hovering over him, Lumière gave a mighty yawn. Sleep had been elusive to him the entire night. He was forced to keep a close watch for anyone who would attempt to check on the 'ill young master', as well as think of excuses why no one, not even the Comte and Comtesse, should bother him. His sharp wit and smooth tongue once again saved his neck as it had many times before.

The only thing to distract him from his thoughts were the sound of a horse's hooves coming up the drive, and as expected, the prodigal son of de Bontecou had returned home at last.

"So what is her name?" Lumière asked as he first assisted his master dismount the steed then walked with him to the stables.

Lucien keep his eyes focused on the path. "Whose name? What are you talking about?"

Lumière continued as he went about what he jokingly called 'dismantling the horse'. "That was the most amateur avoidance of a question I have ever heard, and I am insulted it was done by my own friend! I invented _and_ perfected the skill of avoiding questions!"

Lucien scowled. "I really do not know what you are talking about, comprends?"

Lumière gave him the once-over. "Ruffled clothes, poorly put back together; your shirt buttons are off by one. A nice tint of red on the collar there, lovely shade! And what's that?" He sniffed the air. "Since when did you start wearing perfume and not have any to share?"

"That is enough!" Lucien shouted, but softening his tone as he saw Lumière cringe. "Please, no more questions right now."

Lumière bowed slightly, almost instinctively. "I'm sorry, really I am. It has just been a long night, lying, keeping watch and all"

Lucien nodded. "I really do appreciate it. How did everything go?"

Lumière shrugged. "Without a hitch for you; Nicolette sends you as many well wishes as you need to feel better. Jolie never wants to see me again."

"What?" Lucien asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It was my fault you could not go last night, and you have not done anything wrong to her before."

"If I did, I really do not remember," Lumière replied casually as the pair returned to the chateau once the horse was settled. "Ah well, I am not bothered much about it." He smirked slightly with mischief written clear across his face. "Chef's sister has been sending me an inviting eye lately, so I will not be alone for long. I take on a new woman as soon as I lose one, you know that."

"Would not have expected any less from you," Lucien laughed quietly although a somber tone still haunted his voice.

Lumière looked at him worried. "Are you all right?"

Lucien nodded. "Just…a lot on my mind," he answered. "The Grand Tour next week, Nicolette, and…other things."

"Other things such as last night?" Lumière continued knowingly.

Lucien sighed. "Très bien, mon ami; you win. Yes, other things such as last night."

Lumière waited a moment to let him continue, but when he did not, he persisted. "What is it then?"

Lucien looked at him, his gaze begging for utmost confidence and secrecy. In a heartbreaking manner, he answered, "The worst possible thing that could happen right now. I think…I'm in love."

* * *

_A/N: Five good reviews on the first shot, very much a sign of a keeper!_

**Fairly Odd:**_ Hey hon, thanks! Please say you have MSN! If not, ask the parentals if you can download it. The "writers' workshop" group will be there to help out 'cause you know I'm loving the Angel/Fife idea. While I handle Lumi/Babs, you take great care of Angel and "Band Geek". LOL_

**TrudiRose:**_ Ah, yes! If you are loving it, then I know I am in good shape! Yes! It's a nice fun story compared to the heavy (but much loved!) tones of the trilogy. Little more challenging to write as you know, but good to see that it's turning out just right._

**Valerie:**_ Thank you very much! Lucien and Lumi are turning into my new fave pair to write; need to get Cogsworth back in the game soon. And I'm glad to know Jolie is getting some last minute love before her end in this chapter. Thank you much!_

**ShortStef:**_ You're too kind! I think I have to thank teachers for that. They were constantly hounding us about our writing skills, and hence I take nothing less than my best...and therefore sometimes get too carried away. LOL. But yeah, couldn't be as professional without them. Thanks again!_

**Knux:**_ One of my most loyal readers, yay! Glad to see you're loving this one, and of course I'm keeping it up! ) Thanks!_


	3. Chapter Three

_Chapter Three_

"What did you just say?" Lumière asked. "I must still be half asleep because I thought I heard you say something that could completely ruin you."

Lucien did not know whether to panic or laugh with amusement, but in the end, he chose laughter as the better option. "I am in love with the most remarkable woman in France, no the world!"

Lumière closed his eyes and shook his head. The fear that had haunted him all night had been put to rest seeing Lucien ride up the drive; he was able to breathe, content to know that the lies could end at last. Now all he wanted to do was curl up in hiding with a few glasses of wine to relax his nerves.

"This is not happening," he said, following Lucien quietly inside. "I really wish you had not said anything whatsoever."

Lucien treaded softly upstairs to his rooms and instantly moved to freshen up as Lumière laid out a new set of clothes.

"Would you rather have found out after I was married?" he asked.

The valet helped him to change into a new day's attire before gathering the discarded clothing to prepare them for laundry collection.

"I personally prefer to be without that extra bit of information; my neck would be less at risk if I didn't know it," Lumière said, checking Lucien's ensemble a final time before they made their way to the dining room. "Besides, do you truly think you would still be engaged if anyone finds out?"

"Even if I shouted it from the mountains, who could do anything about it?" Lucien scoffed.

"For one thing, Nicolette could call everything off, and your father would kill you for ruining everything, for another," Lumière explained. "Trust me, it is not a good idea to be an engaged man in love with a girl who isn't your fiancée."

"Says he who changes women as often as his clothes," Lucien muttered sarcastically.

Lumière remained persistent. "Having a multitude of women is not the issue. Having a multitude of women at the _same time_ is, and take it from one who has learned that the hard way, namely yours truly. No matter how pleasurable it sounds, it is not a good practice."

"I completely agree," Lucien said, a little too calm for Lumière's particular liking. "That is why I have decided to call off the marriage to Nicolette."

Lumière stepped in front of him. "Wait just a moment; that is not what I meant and you know that."

Lucien nodded. "You are right, I do know, but I am the one who has to make the decision, and I have."

"Do you hear yourself?" Lumière persisted. "Love is known for making fools of people, but this is beyond foolishness; it's madness."

Lucien kept his calm demeanor, but it slowly took on a more instinctive authority. "The choice is mine to make, and I have done so. Now let me pass."

Lumière kept his eyes raised, silently pleading one last time to change his mind, but it was in vain. Lucien's mind was set, and all Lumière could do was nod and step aside.

Upon entering the dining room, the stern faces of their fathers, the Comte and Chanlet, the de Bontecou's maitre d', met the two young men. After a still, hesitant pause, the pair continued forward into the room.

Lucien spoke first. "Father, you are awake rather early; are you unwell? Could not sleep?"

The Comte's expression was alarmingly set, like ominous clouds hovering about the sky before a storm.

"Chanlet?" he said, narrowing his gaze on Lucien before turning to his servant. "Leave us. As your apprentice, your son should be training for the rescheduled dinner next week. I expect no less than his utmost finest work from him."

"Bien sûr, monseigneur," Chanlet answered with a respectful bow. "Lumière, come."

Lumière glanced at Lucien uneasily. Everyone in the château, noble or servant, knew that nothing good came from the Comte when he used that hard, somber tone. He could not help but feel both nervous for his friend and relieved that he did not have to stay to hear more. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he followed Chanlet to the kitchen, leaving their masters alone.

Lucien frowned at his father. "What is the matter with you this morning? That was rather uncalled for, if you ask me."

"We will not waste time with worthless questions," the Comte retaliated. "Where were you last night?"

"Did Lumière not tell you? I ordered him to inform everyone that I was not feeling well," Lucien said.

"Then I am sending for the finest doctors; this sickness of yours must be deadly if it has gone for this long without getting any better," the Comte continued. "This is the third time that we have had to reschedule this dinner to discuss marriage arrangements."

"Third time charmer; must be a bad omen," Lucien drawled sarcastically.

"On the contrary," the Comte disagreed. "It means that this will be the night we officially plan the wedding."

Lucien bit his lip. "Father, there is not going to be a dinner…nor is there going to be a wedding."

"What are you talking about? Of course there is," the Comte said dismissively.

"No," Lucien replied sharply. "There isn't. I am not getting married, and that is final."

The Comte scowled at him. "I suppose we really should send for a doctor; clearly there is something wrong with your mind. You are betrothed to Nicolette de Solange, as you have been since you were a child, and you _will_ marry her once you return from the Grand Tour in two years. No questions about it."

Lucien stood his ground. "You are wrong."

"Am I?" the Comte countered. "Tell me, what has you suddenly so adamant about calling off the engagement? I would love to hear the beautiful excuse that I am certain you have concocted as of late."

"I do not love her," Lucien replied, trying with all his might to remain calm.

The Comte sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "That is not what I see every time she visits; you seem to show quite an affection for her then."

"I am fond of her, Father," Lucien explained. "Nicolette is a very charming woman, very kind and pleasant to be with, and I most assuredly care about her. If something awful were to happen to her, I would be there in less than a heart beat. She is a dear friend to me, but my feelings for her go no farther than that. I am not in love with her as I feel I should be."

"How would you know?" the Comte persisted. "You do not even know what love is."

Lucien's patience was wearing very thin. "Is that what you think? If so, you could not be more wrong. I am in love, deeply in love, with a woman I have had nothing but delight in knowing. One that is more important to me than any haughty little bitty that you have set before me in the past."

"Who, pray tell, is this woman?" the Comte asked.

Lucien was about to reply when he realized what he was about to say. His passion for anyone or anything he cared about constantly managed to get the best of him, and his mouth would run faster than his common sense. But the question had been asked, and he had no choice but to answer it.

"Her name is Babette," he said slowly. "She works at…_Le Fleur Noir_."

The Comte stared at his son, appalled. "The dance hall? This true love of yours is a money hungry strumpet?"

"She is not like that!"

The Comte merely shook his head. "No, absolutely not."

"That is not your decision to make!" Lucien argued. "I am a grown man, Father, and…"

"And should have a lot more common sense than that!" the Comte interrupted. "That is not love, it is an infatuation! A girl like that will wait until you confess your love to her, convince you to take her for a wife, and then ruin you!"

"Do you think I have not thought of that!" Lucien shouted, his teetering patience at last failing him. "I know the risks! I know what she could do to me, but I do not care! My mind has made its point. She could very well be after our fortune, I know that, but my heart…my heart says otherwise." He paused to take a deep breath. "Father, please."

The Comte sighed. As a father, he had always done everything he could to see his son, his only child, happy. He had given him anything that he desired, and saw to it that he was grateful for everything he had, from materialistic things to his very life. But with important matters at hand, that was just not possible this time.

"Very well," he began. "You have made your point very clear…but now I must make mine. You have had your fun, Lucien, but this engagement is not a game where you can pick and choose your lady. It is a matter of duty. You are not in love with Nicolette, I understand, but that can change over time. You are honor bound to marry her, and you most certainly will. Our family, our very name comes before anything else, and I will not have it destroyed by a disgraceful fascination with some common showgirl. The engagement stands, and you will go through with it."

"But Father…"

"Do I make myself clear?"

When those very same words are said to a child, it simply means that he must accept the decision at the present moment, and try harder to change his parents' mind. When they are heard as an adult, there was no hidden promise of change; the words they followed were law and set in stone. Heartbroken, Lucien closed his eyes in realization of that fact.

"Yes, sir," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "You have my word; Nicolette de Solange will be my wife."

* * *

As Lucien neared the kitchen, he could not help overhearing the sounds Lumière's testing as Chanlet rattled off as many questions he could possibly think of.

"The duties of your staff during the meal are…?"

"Minor details such as offering oil and vinegar and bread as well as refilling wine glasses. To disturb the place settings while the master's guests are dining is very poor judgment. The staff is a reflection of your orders, and therefore, they must be well organized, taught, and prepared."

Lucien suppressed a grin at his friend's monotonous and mechanical response, and upon entering the room, he offered a jesting, "At ease, men!" After he noticed Lumière turning his eyes to the heavens to mouth a 'Dieu Merci!' Lucien turned to Chanlet.

"Pardon the intrusion on the lessons, but I insist you relinquish your son from his questioning."

Chanlet smirked with amusement, clearly revealing where Lumière inherited the expression. "Of course, as you command, monsieur."

As Lucien nodded and headed into the hall, Lumière quickly followed.

"I take it that wedding bells are still on the agenda?" he asked quietly, sensing the hurt radiating from Lucien's being.

"They are, and that is why you are coming with me tonight," the young noble said.

Lumière looked at him confused. "Going with you where?"

"_Le Fleur Noir_."

Lumière's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Tonight? We can not go right this moment instead?" One look from Lucien ended the continuation of that particular set of questions. "Why do we have to go there?" he asked instead.

"I can not cancel another dinner."

Lumière stepped in front of him, forcing a standstill. "Wait a minute. That is where you have been going all this time?"

"Oui."

"That is where your lady love is from?"

"Oui."

"And you never brought me with you, why?" Once again, the silencing look forced Lumière into a different question chain. "Then the entire purpose of tonight is to bid her farewell?"

Lucien nodded, clearly in disappointment, and for the first time, Lumière truly understood why. Those women were eternal heaven—or with any good luck, eternal sin—on earth! To release one of them from your heart had to be a living nightmare!

"Yes," Lucien confirmed. "But you must keep quiet. My father demanded the affair be dissolved tonight if possible, but to tell no one else about any of this. If both of us go, no one will think twice. What say you?"

Lumière looked thoughtful for a moment. "Only one thing _to_ say."

Lucien waited a pause. "Well?"

Lumière smirked as he pulled his friend into a tight hug. "Bless you, mon ami!"

* * *

_Review Acknowledgements Time! _

**TrudiRose**:_ LOL I seriously want to go back now and count how many variations of the Patience Virtue line I have done in my work. Glad to know you're still loving it; you know that this is as much yours as it is mine. Thank you for everything._

**Dutch FF-Lover**:_ How will I let the story end...hmm...guess we'll just have to see! Thanks for all the support!_

**Fairly Odd**:_ Phantom inspired, perhaps in the opening chapter, but nothing later here, I'm afraid. :-) And don't worry! This fic took forever just to get up off the ground! They all come in time, and you know you always have me to help out! ((hugs!))_

**Lyndsi05**:_ Aww thank you so much! I'm honored to be one of your first B&B posts! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter; I aim to please:-)_

**Valerie**:_ LOL I hope this new chapter satisfies Lucien's first official fan girl! He's definitely one of my fave new characters to work with, although I gotta get Lumiere back in the spotlight as well. Glad you're loving it; thanks so much!_


	4. Chapter Four

_Chapter Four_

The ride to _Le Fleur Noir_ was silent that night aside from Lumière's subtle attempts to turn Lucien's mood into a cheerful one. No matter how hard he tried, the jovial valet could not share his good spirits with his master and friend.

In any other situation, Lucien would have been as thrilled as Lumière was beside him to return to dance hall. Never in the past few months that he had known Babette had he ever seen her twice in one week; the risk of being caught was far too high to take the chance. He should have known the one time it would happen would be the night it had to end.

Entering to the usual sounds of lustful men consorting with the scandalous women who were born to please them, Lucien gestured for Lumière to follow to his table.

"Listen to me," Lucien said seriously. "Stay here while I talk to the proprietor for a minute."

"What do you need to do that for?" Lumière asked, his eyes immediately settling on the floor where a voluptuous blond was presently satisfying the crowd. "You are about to do the hardest thing in your life; don't you want to sit and enjoy yourself first?"

Lucien sighed irritated. "Just stay here!" He turned to leave when he hesitated. Making certain that his eyes bore directly into Lumière's, he added, "And whatever you do, do _not_ touch _anything_."

When Lucien finally left, Lumière sulked with disappointment, much like a child who had just been denied every toy in the shop. Only the applause and the sway of the blonde's walk as she ended her performance brought him back to reality, and he quickly returned to his lighthearted, delighted mood.

"Something to drink, monsieur?"

Lumière shook his head slightly as a female voice distracted his attention from the performances. "Oui," he answered, looking up as he was about to thank her, but he found himself suddenly speechless.

As the woman placed her tray down to pour him a glass of wine, Lumière could not tear his gaze away from her. Dark curls of hair that could be mistaken for silk were pinned away from her face loosely. When she caught him staring, her eyes seemed to sparkle as she smiled playfully.

"Will there be anything else?" she asked. Such a simple question, and yet said in her smooth, sultry voice, it made his heart race. He could sit and listen to her all night if she would have allowed it.

"Nothing that would not disgrace me as a gentleman, ma chere mademoiselle," Lumière replied with a suggestive smile.

"A gentleman?" she scoffed with a laugh, placing the glass before him. "You have come to the wrong place if you are a gentleman."

Lumière covered her hand that still rested on the glass with his own, drawing it away gently to softly bring it to his lips. "In such a case as this, being a gentleman simply means that the lady is first…in everything."

A small, faint gasp escaped from her, and he smirked at her wanting to hide it under her own grin.

"Monsieur is too kind, as well as assuming," the girl remarked. "Not all of the ladies here are so willing; some of us will accept only men that can earn our affections."

"Tell me how, and I give you my word. I shall make it my priority to meet your every demand," Lumière replied.

She gave him the once-over with an amused smirk. "Trust me, monsieur; sweet as you are, you are anything but the type of man I want."

"Très bien," Lumière said. "But tell me, s'il vous plait. What must I do to be such a man?"

"Turn into me, that's what."

As if from out of nowhere, Lumière watched Lucien lean towards the girl's ear as he murmured those words. She in response turned immediately to see who had spoken to her, excitedly throwing herself into his embrace when she found Lucien. Leaning his elbow against the tabletop, Lumière hid his face in his hand as he downed the wine in one swallow. Of all the girls there, he _had_ to pick that of his best friend; it was just his luck.

"I thought I told you not to touch anything, especially my precious Babette," Lucien commented with a grin as he sat at the table.

Lumière glanced at him, about to offer a scowl, but he could not bring himself to do so. Even now, once again in the arms of the woman he cared most about in his life, Lucien was still not in high spirits as he should have been, Lumière could sense it. His smile was far too broad to be genuine, and his normally gloating tone did not possess its usual vigor.

Babette, on the other hand, took no notice of it; she could not be happier with her lover's unexpected visit. With her lip protruding into a pout, she cuddled onto Lucien's lap and into his arms. "Oh, mon cher, do not tease him so," she purred. "He is right; there was no way to know. Besides, the kind _gentleman_ must have sensed that you are mine, and that is why he kept me here, just for you."

Lucien smiled, drawing her close for a gentle but passionate kiss. "That must be it then." He gathered her in his arms as he stood, causing her to let out a playful shriek as she held on tightly around his neck. The last thing he wanted to do was let her go. "But right now, we must talk."

Babette smiled despite her confusion at his quiet tone. "What about, mon amour?"

Lucien shook his head. "Not here," he said before turning to his companion. "Lumière, you will excuse us, yes?"

Lumière nodded in understanding. "But of course." He then glanced to Babette, smiling sweetly. "It was most certainly a pleasure, mademoiselle."

"Likewise, monsieur," she replied, mirroring his expression before Lucien carried her to the back corridor.

Lumière could not help but watch them until they were out of sight. Babette, the girl was such a vision and charming in her own mischievous little ways. It was clear now why Lucien was so heartbroken to let her go, and inwardly, Lumière allowed himself a moment of sympathy on both their behalves before allowing himself to enjoy the evening once more.

* * *

After placing Babette down on the chaise, Lucien moved to lock the door, assuring their complete privacy, before turning to her again. Being the sly little coquette she was, Babette had already untied the majority of her bodice, and Lucien forced himself to take a deep breath to focus on the matter at hand. When he sat next to her, it took all his will power and strength to grasp her wrists and pry her lips from his.

"Don't," he murmured. "Please, not now."

Babette looked at him in concern, but then rose to stand behind him. Slowly, she moved her hands below the cravat that stood between her and his neck. "You feel so tense, mon cher," she whispered, beginning to massage him gently. "Let us see if I can relax you before you become so…rigid once more."

Instinctively, willingly Lucien closed his eyes and pillowed his head against her. Taking her one hand in his, he kissed it ardently. "You are pure bliss, ma cherie…"

Freeing her hand, Babette led both of them to unbutton his coat, waistcoat, and shirt. "As are you," she replied. "I am so happy you came tonight; I missed you terribly since this morning." She leaned in close to his ear, literally breathing her words as she added. "Does this mean that you will come to see me every day, and we can live happily ever after?"

Those famous words that were meant to bring joy could only return Lucien to his tragic reality. Tearing himself from her grasp, he stood, instantly refastening the buttons on his clothes while concern and confusion found their way once more to Babette's eyes.

"Lucien?" she asked. "Something is upsetting you; what is it?"

Crying is a weakness that every man refuses to show. When he turned to face her, Lucien had to bite his lip bloody to keep from breaking down into tears; he would have to be the stronger of the two. Babette was certain to be the one destined to open the floodgates; he need not follow her lead.

Sitting with her on the chaise, Lucien clasped her hands in his. So soft and gentle yet passionate and experienced, they had brought him many nights of fiery exhilaration that he knew he would never feel again.

"Babette," he said. "Ma cherie…I love you, truly, with every ounce of my heart; there is no question of that."

Already the tears were starting as Babette touched her cheek to his, nuzzling him affectionately. "Oh, Lucien…je t'aime aussi…"

"No," he pleaded, turning his head away from her. "No, do not tell me that now, I beg of you, please."

How he brought himself to look at her face in its state of disappointment by his rejection, Lucien could never understand. How he continued to speak when all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and take back his words was inconceivable.

"As deeply as I love you," he began, "Believe me, it is best for the both of us…that we never see each other again. Ever."

At first, Babette was stunned, but after a minute, she found her voice. "What? What are you talking about? What have I done wrong?"

Lucien could not hold back any longer, and he offered his embrace in an attempt to comfort her. "You have done nothing, nothing at all!"

"Then why are you telling me this?" she cried, sinking into his arms.

Lucien took a deep breath, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Babette, you are an incredible woman; any man that you set your heart on is yours the minute he lays eyes on you. However, my position in life does not allow me the same pleasure.

"I was born and raised an aristocrat, of noble blood. My life does not belong to me, but to my family and its name. I am not free to make my choices in matters of the heart, and I must do as I am bound by honor, whether I like it or not."

Babette's eyes widened with horrific realization. "No, no you can not be…"

"Her name is Nicolette de Solange," Lucien interrupted. He wanted this to end as soon as possible as he could not stand it any longer. "We have been betrothed to each other since we were eleven years old, and once I return from the Tour in two years, we will be wed."

Babette jumped from the chaise, crossing to the other side of the tiny room. "That is it then; that is the truth."

"Not by my choice," Lucien argued.

"Oh of course not," she replied, unsure of whether her words held more anger or sarcasm. "You can not be happy with the pretty little princess that your family picked, so you bide your time with a common wench like me!"

"That is not true!"

"Really?" she asked. "I am sorry then as you are indeed such an expert on truth!"

Lucien bolted to his feet angrily. "Now see here…!"

"I am not one of your servants!" Babette screamed. "You have no control over me! You have obviously enjoyed our time together very much, Monsieur le Vicomte, but now it is time to run home to your precious little fiancée! There is the table, and there is the door! Leave your money, then get out!"

Despite expecting no less of a reaction, it was not any easier for Lucien to hear it. He stared at her, forlorn, searching for any ray of hope that this was not the end, but he found nothing. Babette's eyes were drowning in tears, and her jaw was set trying to remain calm as she opened the door for him. It was over, and resisting the childish urge to leave a bit of money on her table, Lucien left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Angrily, Babette threw her fist at the door, thoroughly submitting to a wave of tears. Leaning against it heavily, she slid to the floor and hid her face in her hands. The first man she had given her love to, and he had betrayed her with lies. She was nothing to him but a toy. The other girls had warned her, but she had chosen to believe in love. Well if that was all love was, a mere little game, that was all it ever would be to her. Never again would she give her heart to a man; it was too painful to have it broken.

* * *

_Reviews Acknowledgement_

**Fairly Odd:**_ Very glad you're still enjoying it! Send your fic my way anytime! It'll save you from hearing me whine and pleading to ask you for it:-)_

**TrudiRose:**_ It's come a long way hasn't it:-) Very happy you like it! I only make these characters speak the truth, and boy, does Lumi know a lot about having a mulitude of women! LOL. With Lucien almost temporarily out of the way, the best is yet to come!_

**nikkibelle18:**_ About time you showed up to read this! wipes cheek from kiss Jeez, twit, you're going to ruin our reputation one of these days, I swear:-) Thanks for the read!_

**shortstef:**_ As I said to Trudi above, the best is still to come. The first piece of the dominos has been hit and it's all about coming together from here! Thank you:-)_

**Knux:**_ Hon, you're always so kind:-) As far as writing the scenes without the graphics, I honestly try, and am pleased to see that I succeeded.:-) I have no qualms about writing, or even reading about,these characters in situations like that so long as it stays true to the story and it is tastefully done. I really don't get the point of being graphic either, and think it's more sensual when you don't know every single detail that's going on, you know? Glad you're liking it, and hope you come back for more!_

_All my thanks to everyone so far, and I hope you'll all stay tuned! The all around goal to get these two together is in still in sight._


	5. Chapter Five

_Chapter Five_

"Babette?"

The woman herself stirred, squeezing her already closed eyes tightly as she did. She was never one to drink so much, and the last thing she would call herself was a drunk. The previous night had to have been an exception; she could not remember any of it. All she knew was a sickening sensation was filling her stomach to a nauseating capacity, and her head was throbbing. The knocking at her door was certainly not helping either.

"Babette, it is already half past noon! Aren't you awake yet?"

When she was sure that she had no clue who was on the other side by voice alone, Babette moaned before she replied. "Of course I am! Come in!"

The door creaked open, increasing her headache even more, and Babette hid her face under her pillow. Her visitor's identity was not worth the pain that sound and light were bestowing on her.

"Mon Dieu," the visitor muttered as Babette felt both skin and paper on her back. That answered everything; it had to be Odette, one of her fellow performers. She was the only one at _Le Fleur Noir_, besides Madame D'Araignée, who had any reading skills (thus accounting for the presence of paper). Whenever the girls received letters and notes, Odette was the one for them to see.

Babette growled, although her words were muffled from beneath the pillow. "Go away, this is not a good time for a scolding."

"I am not going to scold you," Odette said, walking to the dressers to pour cool water into the basin. Bringing that and a cloth with her back to the bed, she silently ordered, "Come out from under there; you must be as warm as a beautiful day in July!"

Babette groaned in protest, but as Odette persisted, she finally complied, slowly removing the pillow from her head.

"I hate you," Babette muttered angrily.

Odette soaked the cloth in the water, and placed on the girl's head. "I know you do, but you will simply have to get over it. Hopefully, you have learned to never touch a drink again."

"If I had, last night would have never happened," Babette replied, sighing somewhat relaxed with the cloth now cooling her brow. She gestured to it weakly as she added, "Merci, mon amie."

Odette grinned. "You are not unworthy of friendship because of how much more careless you have been." Reaching to the foot of the bed, she gathered the folded paper that Babette must have felt earlier. "And the reason for that growth in carelessness seems to be very insistent."

Babette offered a halfhearted smile. Two years had passed since the night Lucien had left her, and while she longed to see him again, she would not admit to it. She would not give everyone the satisfaction of seeing her pining her loss.

She had refused gifts that he had sent her from his travels on the Grand Tour. The last thing she wanted was charity, to be the "poor, lonely lost love"; she was better than that. Letters were another story, offering hope that someday he would come to his senses and return to her and her alone.

"What does he have to say this time?" she asked, trying to appear indifferent although Odette knew better.

Unfolding the letter, Odette began to read. "_'Mon coeur: With every stroke of ink, I am torn between the greatest of enemies, my mind and my heart. The common sense in my mind constantly chides me for continuing to write to you, as you never respond. (Your inability to read or write is not an excuse.) But as you made it quite clear that you despise me, I should not expect any letters in return. My traveling party is constantly on the move, however, so I suppose it is for the best whether you still love me or not.'_

"_'My heart, amidst such a browbeating, is not so easily dissuaded. The stronger of the two combatants, it still hopes that somehow you could feel compassionate enough to forgive me. It is because of those hopes that I find myself once again penning you a letter.'_

"_'What else can I say that has not already been said? My engagement was not formed under my consent; if it was, I would find a way for us to be together. Perhaps in another time and place it would be possible, but it simply can not be.'_

"_'I know I hurt you, but that was never my intention. What I felt for you was love; I still do. But if we must set each other free, let it be a harmonious parting. Forgive me please, Lucien."_

"Well," Odette offered after a pause. "He does not sound like a man who hates you, but then again, when they come crawling back, that is the last thing they want to be."

Babette turned away, groaning as her stomach continued churning in agony. "He could want me again or hate me forever; it does not matter to me either way."

"As well it shouldn't," Odette agreed. "We told you in the first place that he was trouble, remember? None of those men are here to fall in love; this is not a living fairy tale. It is life at its toughest."

Babette hugged her pillow close, drawing the blanket tighter over her shoulders. "Love". She really should have listened to them; it always resulted like this for all the girls. Why would she have been an exception? More devastatingly so, why did she still keep believing that she was one?

She swallowed her emotion before she spoke again. "I know that. He was just…so sincere, so wonderful." She glanced back at Odette. "You read those letters to me every time; you see how romantic and eloquent he is. That is exactly how he used to speak to me, how he treated me, like I was the only one in the world for him."

Odette patted her friend's shoulder gently, perhaps the only one who truly felt any sympathy for her. Hurt in this form was the most difficult of all. "I know. But they all do that, mon amie, until life catches up with them. If a man is not willing to take you as a mistress, or if you deny that invitation, you are of little use or importance to him. In this line of work, it is not worth the time or the trouble to believe in love."

Babette could only nod, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible, averting her eyes once again on nothing in particular.

"I will cover for you tonight if you still do not feel well," she heard Odette say as she stood to leave. "Get some rest for now."

When the door clicked shut, Babette took a deep breath to calm herself, curling up under her blanket to get some rest. Sleep would at least ease the pain that still settled in her stomach and head, if not the pain in her heart.

* * *

Lucien groaned in frustration, returning to his reading having confirmed the noise in the hallway to be Lumière's infuriating-in-times-of-studies merriment. It was official. Education was not a bother in life; people who made it more difficult were to blame. When Lumière opened the door, in a far too positive mood from the looks of him, Lucien closed the book irritated. Whenever the valet returned to the inn in Venice in such good spirits, there was no hope for any work that needed completion.

"I can not speak for you, mon ami," Lumière called, hanging up his coat before joining Lucien. "But this has been the single greatest journey I have ever been on."

"I am sure it is," Lucien replied, attempting to return to his book.

"The English gentlemen in our traveling party never cease to amaze me!" Lumière continued, too excited to notice. "Every Englishman I have ever met has been so uptight and proud, but then they were nobles like yourself. These men are as full of life as we are, nobles or not!"

"I could not be more happy for them," Lucien muttered, not looking up.

"You should have been there," Lumière laughed, shaking his head in amusement at the memory. "None of them showed so much as a blush when commenting on the finer, attractive points of the women. I could not believe it!"

"A true wonder of the world indeed," Lucien agreed, nowhere near enthusiastic.

Lumière frowned at his inability to capture his friend's attention. "Lucien, the sky is falling; we have to run," he drawled sarcastically.

"Then let it crush me; I have to finish this," Lucien replied in the same manner.

Lumière sighed, moving to lounge on the chaise nearby. "Are you ever going to leave those books for just a day? You are allowed to enjoy this trip as well as learn from it."

"I know," Lucien said. "However I am here for one reason, and that alone."

Lumière knew he was going to regret this, but he had refrained from bringing the topic into discussion for the entire length of the Tour. He could not hold back any longer.

"Indeed, to escape."

Lucien stopped reading, but did not look at him. "What was that?"

"As long as this journey continues, you are not married and your lady love is still a part of your life."

Lucien shut the book and turned on him, glowering. "Take. That. Back."

Lumière shook his head. "As your servant who knows his place, I most certainly do, but not as your friend who knows it is the truth that you choose to deny."

Lucien stood his ground. "Then as a friend, respect my request to not remind me of it again."

"You have my word that I will not if you come out and play tonight," Lumière offered with a smirk, trying to ease his way out of an argument. It was not what either of them needed at the moment. "One last chance at fun before we leave tomorrow to head for home."

Lucien returned to his chair. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Things to do."

"Like what? Sitting around and sulking?"

"Because I just can't!" Lucien shouted. "Does your word mean nothing to you?"

"I said you have my word _if_ you come with us," Lumière corrected. "You said no, thus my word is not set in stone."

Lucien leaned his head into his hands, irritated now beyond belief. "The last person that I expect to understand is you. Simply because you tell a woman 'As you wish' if she refuses anything more than a kiss does not mean that you understand what real love is. If anything, it just makes you respectable."

Lumière sat in silence for a moment. "You really miss her that much?"

Lucien laughed bitterly. "Two years of traveling wasted on thoughts of a woman I will never have; I would venture to say that means I miss her quite a bit."

"Well," Lumière said. "Then, let's not waste it. How about…if the plans change somewhat?"

Lucien raised his eyes to look at him. "Elaborate on that."

"I still say this is the last night before we leave for home, and therefore, one last hurrah is in order," Lumière explained. "If going in search of women makes you uncomfortable and you do not want to do so, then I suppose that being the best friend I am, I will have to live with that decision."

Lucien could not resist a small laugh at Lumière's added dramatics to that last line.

"That does not mean, however," Lumière continued, "That two best friends can not go out and enjoy themselves. Venice is ours for the evening, mon ami; I am certain we can find something to do. I saw a small bistro, in fact, not far from here, much like the one we constantly go to in Paris. It seems perfect for rest and relaxation, and anything is better than wallowing in your own misery. What do you say?"

Lucien thought for a moment. Lumière was right; distraction and fun were just what he needed, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

"Why did you hang up your coat?" Lucien asked, breaking into the mischievous grin that both young men were known for. "You would only have to put it on again! I mean, really now, must I always be the brains of the outfit?"

"You are using more than the usual half of one?" Lumière replied with a smirk, bolting for his coat first and then the door to avoid any attacks Lucien could come up with.

Lucien only laughed along with him. After grabbing his own coat, he ran after Lumière, just as they did when they were boys. Even if just for one final night, he would be himself again for the first time in two long years.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, just changed the title a bit; no one is going crazy I promise. Just think it flows nicer as_ Questionable Romance_. That's all. Now onto the reviews..._

**TrudiRose**:_ She will indeedy have him there for her! It's getting there, slowly but surely, but it will happen. And as I can not express it enough, thank you again for your time and patience. I owe you so much, it's unbelieveable. :-)_

**ShortStef**: _Aw, Lumi is better than that. Poor guy is going to be going through so much frustration and tension in the near future when it comes to battling his feelings for our fave girl. But I'm going to stop now before I give too much away. :-) Thanks!_

**FairlyOdd:** _Sometimes it helps to be depressed, but I do not recommend that at all. Just stay in tune with your characters and really think them through, that's all. You can do it:-)_

**Lyndsi05:**_ I LOVEwriting Lumi and Cogs banter and would NEVER pass up an opportunity to write about that infamous approaching moment! They are just a writer's dream to work on, so much fun! Cogsworth should be making his first appearance within another chapter or so, so stay tuned! Thanks again for your kind words._

**CrystalTear:**_ Aw, girl I'm sorry for putting your man through that, but "it'll turn out all right, you'll see" to paraphrase Mrs. Potts. He'll be ok. :-) He and Babs just had to do it though, for the sake of many things. :-)_

**NikkiBelle:**_ You know darn straight what rep I mean:-) Thanks for the read, you time-keeping twit; the Cogettes should have some satisfactory reading coming soon._

**Knux:** _I have indeed seen the musical...32 times and counting. :-) Every piece of my writing is strictly based more on that code than the film. The idea behind this story was actually from our current Lumiere on Broadway, Peter Flynn, when he answered a fan question about thebackstory ofLumiere and Babette. I met him back in September of last year, run his official website, and all around have become pretty good friends with him. That's who I mean by "the boss" at the top of Chapter One, btw. He's a very sweet, kind man, much like his character just minus all the hormones. LOL. I actually just saw him the other day, told him how well this is coming along, and he seemed pretty impressed by all thewonderful reviews it's been getting. That being said, thanks for your loyal reading; it's greatly appreciated :-)_


	6. Chapter Six

_Chapter Six_

If either Lucien or Lumière ever saw another horse, carriage, or road again, it would be too soon. As glorious as the Grand Tour had been, in the end, their single desire was to return home as soon as possible. Familiar surroundings and cozier beds would certainly make the three long weeks of travel from Venice to Paris worth every minute.

At the final inn before arrival in Paris, Lucien ordered a carriage to arrive at the stroke of dawn, the very second when the sun peeked over the horizon. Thankfully, the driver was competent and reliable, and by mid-morning, the de Bontecou château was in full view. The young men smiled eagerly, at last seeing it only a mere short distance away. Visiting the finest cities in Europe were definitely experiences to be cherished, but no place is dearer to a man's heart than his home.

As the driver assisted them, Lucien and Lumière carried their baggage inside to the front hall, trying to be quiet should anyone still be asleep or attending breakfast. (Every meal was normally silent.) But despite their attempts, the sounds of the Comtesse's excited shrieks meant they had not been quiet enough. Quickly, Lucien paid the driver before his mother bounded hastily into her son's arms.

"My boy!" she cried so happily that Lucien could not resist a smile. His mother was as aristocratic as one could be, but nonetheless she was still just that, a mother. "My precious little boy, mon Dieu, how I missed you!"

Lucien laughed wholeheartedly. "As I missed you, but Mother please! Let go before you strangle me to death!"

The Comtesse conceded at his request, resorting to kissing his cheeks happily and gathering his face in her hands. "Well, I still recognize you at least! I was worried you would come back a completely different man!"

Lumière smirked. "Do not worry, Madame; I kept nothing but the closest watch over him to make certain that he remained your darling son."

"I am forever grateful," the Comtesse replied with a smile, once again unable to resist embracing Lucien tightly.

The Comte entered the hall, Chanlet not far behind, just in time to save Lucien from another possible murder by stranglehold.

"Bernadette, please!" he said, quite obviously in a jesting manner. "Both of them just returned safely, and now you are about to do in our son?"

As the Comtesse stepped aside, both fathers greeted their respective sons in the gentlemanly manner of a handshake.

"I must say," the Comte said with a grin. "The day has hardly begun and already it is a splendid one! Our sons have returned to us, Lucien and Nicolette's long awaited marriage is fast approaching, and Lumière has received the highest honor a young servant his age could have."

Lumière laughed, puzzled. "Monseigneur, as his valet, it is my duty to your son to accompany him wherever he goes. The Tour was indeed a high honor, but it was still only my orders to travel with him."

The Comte shared his expression of confusion. "What are you talking about, boy? I did not mean the Tour; I meant your promotion."

"Promotion, monseigneur?" Lumière asked, even more bewildered. "I'm afraid I do not understand."

"No one told you?" the Comte asked. Lumière shook his head, and the older man laughed gently. "Ah, no wonder you look like a lost sheep without its shepherd!"

Chanlet gazed at his son, his smile beaming with pride. "You must have made a lasting impression on one of those English gentlemen you both accompanied on the Tour. We received word that you completely amazed them with your intelligence; they did not expect a simple valet to know so much about serving etiquette, dining mannerisms, and wine knowledge."

Lumière tried to appear nonchalant, but failed miserably, grinning as proudly as his father. "It was nothing, really."

"It most certainly was something!" Chanlet assured him. "The gentleman's relative is the head of the household to the king! He had sent a recommendation early on during the Tour, referring you to fill the maitre d' position. We received word some time ago that you were expected to join the staff the moment you returned home!"

Lumière gawked at Chanlet as if the man had just told him he was born a royal instead of a servant. "You mean…I am to serve…at the palace of the king? The king himself?" Chanlet nodded happily. "Really? You mean it?" Another nod from the father was followed by the son's silence to allow every word to settle into his mind. "I…I do not know what to say…"

The Comte laughed, "Well obviously you will say yes, my boy! Do you realize what an opportunity this is? Your father has trained you well to follow in his footsteps, and not only will you do so, but for the king! You were taught to be the best, by the best, and now able serve the best!"

"Not to mention how much favor and honor you will bring to all of us by accepting the position!" the Comtesse added, excitedly.

Lumière still could not believe what he was hearing. Him, maitre d' as his father and those before him, and to the royal family no less! The first in his family line to have the privilege of being what the Comte had rightfully deemed the finest opportunity!

"Lumière? Well come now, son, say something!"

Lumière gave his head a quick shake, returning from deep within his thoughts. "What else is there to say?" he asked, grinning broadly. "I accept, absolument!"

"Of course you do!" the Comte laughed. "Then it is settled! I shall have a courier send word that you shall arrive tomorrow!"

Lumière's smile began to shrink in size. "T-t-tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? What do you mean tomorrow?" Lucien asked, interrupting any immediate reply his father had.

"The head of the household demanded that Lumière join them as soon as the Tour ended, as Chanlet explained," the Comte said. "Tomorrow is the soonest time that we could arrange the move." Turning to Lumière, he added, "Keep your bags packed; you leave first thing in the morning."

Lucien stood in place, stunned beyond belief, perhaps even more than Lumière had been. He scarcely heard his father conclude with orders to the valet to bring his master's bags upstairs to be unpacked and then for Lucien to join them for the remainder of breakfast.

"Lucien?" the Comte said. "Did you hear me? Come and have something to eat."

Lucien did not even glance at him as he instead followed Lumière to his room. "Merci, but I am not hungry."

Once upstairs, Lucien childishly flopped on his bed, watching Lumière separate his clean clothes from those that needed to be washed. Ever since he was little, the unbreakable habit was a telltale sign of disappointment, anger, and distress. With his wonderful news in mind, Lumière, his so-called friend, was obviously far too occupied to notice.

"How can you be so calm?" Lucien said after silence had lingered in the room longer than he was comfortable with.

Lumière looked at him. "Calm? Are you serious?"

"Well look at you!" Lucien argued. "Did you hear them downstairs? You are _leaving_ your home, your family, and yet you say nothing! You do not show any emotion whatsoever!"

Lumière placed the clothes down. "You must be jesting. Have you still not learned that whenever I am silent that I am anything but calm? Despite how happy I am to accept the position, we are only here for a meager two seconds before I am told that this will not be my home come tomorrow morning! I have a day—_one_ day—to get used to the idea of taking on the biggest responsibility I have ever been given! Believe me, I am _far_ from calm."

"How are you not upset then?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I am a little upset!"

"I'm sure you are; your appearance gives you right away!" Lucien sneered sarcastically. "On top of that, forget about leaving your best friend behind since you are so worried about having a home!"

Lumière stared at him, clearly hurt. "You do not believe that, do you?"

"How can I not?" Lucien asked angrily. "I am being forced into a marriage that I do not want! I lost the woman that means the world to me; she detests me! And now…" His voice trailed off dejectedly. "My best friend is abandoning me."

"You act as though I planned this," Lumière said. "I did not ask to be sent away. If I could, I would stay longer, but I have no say in the matter. And…oh for heaven's sake, Lucien! I would never abandon a friend for just any reason; you know that!"

Lucien closed his eyes tightly, refusing to give into the sensation of tears. Grown men did not cry! "I know you are right, and I am sorry. It is just…when I need a friend the most, no one will be here."

"Nonsense!" Lumière said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I am serving a different household not too far from here, not moving to the ends of the earth! You have but to send the word, and I will be here as soon as I can."

Lucien nodded, smirking halfheartedly at his attempts at optimism. "Which will most likely be often," he said. "Come to think of it, no one could stand for your antics like we can. You will most likely give those poor souls nothing but grief."

"Exactement!" Lumière exclaimed. "Whenever you need me, I will cause such chaos, they will beg me to leave just for a bit of silence!" With a grin, he concluded, "Now, once again, I refuse to let moping take over our entire day, especially when it is the last we will have for a while! Breakfast is sounding more and more like a good idea because I am famished!"

Lucien laughed gently, nodding in agreement, and Lumière let out a small sigh of relief before joining in. Lucien may not have been completely at ease with his leaving, but genuine laughter, however small in amount, was a good sign that he accepted it. For the time being, it was the most Lumière could ask for.

* * *

Throwing his small sack of few belongings over his shoulder, Lumière silently took one last glance around his quarters. It did not matter how thrilled he was with his advancement in life; the château had always been his home, born and raised within its walls. What he would have given to stay there just a bit longer! But it was time to move on, and solemnly, he opened the door to make his way outside.

After bidding the Comte and Comtesse a respectful, fond farewell, Lumière found Lucien bringing his horse up the walk, followed by a relay from the castle close behind atop his own steed. If he had been in a better mood, Lumière would have teased his friend for their "sudden swap" in the positions of master and servant.

Chanlet waited patiently for his son at the bottom of the steps, holding something under his arm that Lumière could not identify, even as he stood directly before his father.

"Take this with you," Chanlet said, unfolding the blue bundle to present a handsome blue coat with gold trim. "Blue is said to soothe the nerves and open one's mind to learning everything it can. Therefore, every man in our family has worn this when he was accepted into our position. I have taught you all you need to know; the rest is up to you."

Lumière removed his own coat, folding it to place in his sack, and sliding into the new one. It fit like a glove, he discovered with a proud smile, smoothing any creases and straightening the lapels to look his best.

Chanlet nodded his approval. "Perfect," he said, hardly able to keep emotion from his voice. Pulling his son close, he embraced him quickly before pulling away with a simple warning. "Make me proud, and more importantly, behave yourself."

Lumière smirked his infamous grin of mischief. "Proud, without question; behave, I will try."

Moving to join Lucien and the relay, Lumière hastily wiped his own eyes free of possible tears. "Well, this is it."

Lucien nodded. "Au revoir," he murmured, holding out his hand.

"Never," Lumière said with promise, accepting it with his own. "A bientôt is more like it."

"Très bien," Lucien agreed. "Take care of yourself, and do not break too many hearts at once. Bad form, that is."

"But of course," Lumière responded with a smile. Mounting the horse, he added, "I will write as soon as I am settled."

With another nod as his only confirmation, Lumière gave the horse a swift kick, steering him in the gates' direction to follow the relay. Lucien, joined by Chanlet, watched him ride off. Even after Lumière was long gone, they stood there, staring into the distance before returning inside, unwillingly content to let life continue on its course for now.

* * *

_Review Time..._

**TrudiRose:**_ Hope this satisfied what has to be for them. :-) Thank you for sticking with me!_

**beautygirl:**_ Late is better than never:-) Glad to have your good praises, and MORE glad that you're enjoying the story!_

**Knux:**_ Met and know:-) If you want to see the original fan question that started it all, check out www'dot'peter-flynn'dot'com. Hope that comes out right! Just put in the dots where appropriate. (What I will do for a shameless plug:-))_

**letylyf:**_ Thank you so much! For some reason, knowing I have a story that are better than the Harry Potter section somehow gives me a buzz. LOL. As for my French, oy, I know I am FAR from perfection! Four years of French in high school, and I don't remember a word of it. Really have to relearn; I miss it so much. Hence why I use it as sparsely as possible, sticking to names and some exclamations, stuff I know. :-) Thanks again!_


	7. Chapter Seven

_Quick A/N: Wanted to clear up and respond to part of ShortStef's review. The coat Lumiere received in the last chapter is in no way the Beast's ballroom/Prince ensemble. Forgot to mention that. If anyone has seen the musical, it is the coat he wears when he becomes human again. Sorry for the confusion if any!_

_Chapter Seven_

From acquaintances to dearest friends, anyone who knew Lumière well, be they men or women—especially women—understood that few experiences ever found him in a nervous state of mind. He was an entertainer by nature since the day he was born, striving to constantly be the pinnacle of cheer and optimism. To see him in such anxiety as he followed the relay through the forest to the Château Mountains was a rare sight indeed.

When they neared the edge of the forest, the grand splendor of the king's palace, set amidst the highest mountains, came into view, astounding Lumière with its awe-inspiring glory. As they rode closer, over the stone bridge that led to it, its beauty increased tenfold. Rows of stained glass windows set on every floor, each with a story to tell; statues of angels graced both residents and visitors with their impressive presence. To say it was incredible would surely be the understatement of the century.

Leaving their horses in the care of a stable boy, the relay led Lumière inside, which he found to be even more glorious than the façade. The foyer alone could fit at least half, if not the entire de Bontecou château inside of it! A plush red carpet, thrown over a sea of marble tiles, led to a grand staircase at the end of the hall, leading to God knew how many rooms.

"If you could please wait here," the relay said, returning Lumière to reality. "The head of the household will be with you in a moment."

Lumière nodded, watching as the man exited through a door at his left. On the opposite side, its identical twin stood ajar. Curiosity consuming him, Lumière quietly walked in its direction, following the new hallway as it led to yet another door.

"Why am I not surprised?" Lumière muttered to himself, turning the knob to take a peek inside and finding a small sitting room.

With no windows to light it, a roaring fire had been lit in the fireplace in front of a cozy looking chair. Climbing down a few steps, Lumière moved towards the piece of furniture, running his hand over the upholstery as he admired it. After he was completely certain that no one could find him, he sat down, sighing in relaxation. It definitely was a pleasant experience, considering the discomfort of riding a horse for the past few hours. He would be quite content to fall asleep right there.

"Disobeying orders, and sitting in his majesty's chair besides?"

Lumière immediately bolted from the chair, moving as far away from it as possible upon hearing a voice of authority. Turning to where it had come from, however, he could hardly suppress a grin. Before him was a stout little man, a foot, maybe more, short of Lumière's eye level. His round face was framed with a neatly curled coiffure of dark hair and divided evenly with a thin moustache.

"Just arrived and already nothing but trouble," the man said decisively with a strong English accent that could put the finest of London society to shame.

Lumière raised an eyebrow indignantly. "That is jumping to a rather hasty conclusion, non?"

The man's hard expression showed no remorse. "Hasty, perhaps, but nonetheless true unless you could prove it otherwise."

If it were any other day, Lumière would not have let the conversation end there, but with a first impression at stake, he realized that an argument was too much of a risk. Thus, he bowed slightly in respect of the man's obvious superior rank.

"My sincere apologies, monsieur," he said. "Forgive my curiosity; it very often gets the best of me."

The man observed his actions for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "Very well then, it was not a crime after all. But see to it that you learn to keep it under control in the future."

"Control enforced, monsieur," Lumière agreed.

The man reached out his hand to him. "I am Cogsworth, head of this household and second in command to their majesties, the king and queen."

And quite the modest one too, Lumière thought sarcastically, but kept the words in check as he clasped Cogsworth's hand in a greeting. "Lumière, their majesties' new maitre d', but I am certain you know that."

"Charmed and delighted," Cogsworth replied, giving Lumière a final once-over. Possible disobedience and a quick tongue, he thought. This one would require a closer watch than he had anticipated.

Gesturing Lumière to follow, Cogsworth spoke as they walked back to the foyer.

"Forgive me for asking, but exactly how old are you?" he asked. "When I received word of a knowledgeable valet, I assumed that you would be older, more experienced."

"Old enough to handle the position if that is what you mean," Lumière replied. "My father is the finest worker that my former employer ever had. He taught me everything he knows, and if I may say so myself, I am a fast learner."

"I should hope so," Cogsworth said. "The king's staff consists of the most diligent, respectable people that France has to offer. It is a great responsibility, and part of my job is to see that everyone comprehends that. I will not tolerate any funny business whatsoever, is that clear?"

"Clear as crystal," Lumière answered.

"Very good, we understand each other then." Cogsworth said, continuing in the lead.

Lumière took advantage of the following silence to explore the new hallways as they journeyed onward. In one, the open-to-view floors proudly displayed the vast, enormous size of the castle as one was topped by another. Down another smaller corridor, he was met with stunning architecture and suits of armor from the medieval years.

"I must say, this is quite a beautiful palace," Lumière commented. "More so than I ever imagined."

"It _is_ stunning," Cogsworth agreed. With a bit of a proud smile, he explained, "In this hall particularly, the pseudo façade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings, right there."

Lumière's gaze followed to where he had gestured, but he only nodded. Architecture was not one of his specialties to comment on.

Cogsworth, on the other hand, continued, "It is yet another example of the neo-classic baroque period." Leaning in closely as if he knew the secret of secrets, he muttered, "And as I always say, if it's not baroque, don't fix it!"

Lumière stared blankly at the Englishman as he burst into hysterical laughter at his own joke. The terms "cruel and agonizing punishment" came briefly to mind, and whatever their destination, Lumière prayed they would arrive as soon as possible to spare him of any more puns.

Cogsworth's merriment slowly faded seeing that his audience was clearly not impressed. Impudent little twit obviously did not appreciate good humor when he heard it!

"Right, come along then," he muttered, and before long, they had arrived in what appeared to be the kitchen.

Well-carved cabinets lined one wall, most likely with dishes, glasses, and cups piled neatly inside. Along the other, pots of every size were hung orderly leading all the way down to the stove in the corner. In the center of the room was a fine table, which Lumière gave a solid knock with his fist.

"Strong and sturdy," he said with an impressed nod. "Oak, is it?"

"The finest there is, monsieur!" a voice called as the owner, an older woman, entered the kitchen.

Cogsworth stepped forward, addressing each in a manner of introduction. "Ah, perfect timing! Mrs. Potts, this is Monsieur Lumière; he just joined our ranks today, filling the maitre d' position. Monsieur, this is our dear Mrs. Potts, the best cook and housekeeper in the business."

Lumière reached for her hand, kissing it politely as a gentleman was honor bound to do. "Enchantée, madame."

"Pleasure is mine, monsieur," Mrs. Potts replied with a small curtsey and warm smile. Like Cogsworth, her accent revealed that she was English. She was not an old woman, but she had long surpassed her girlhood years. Her hair was a bit more on the white side of blond than golden.

"Mrs. Potts and Chef are constantly found here in the kitchen," Cogsworth explained to Lumière. "The three of you, as you know, will definitely be working closely together."

"Have you shown him the dining room yet, Cogsworth?" Mrs. Potts asked.

"Not yet," he answered. "But if Monsieur will follow me, I most certainly will."

Lumière nodded, and after offering his regards to Mrs. Potts, followed Cogsworth into said dining room. As the head of the household drawled on about matters Lumière knew quite well, he glanced around the new room. Needless to say, like the rest, it was the most extraordinary he had ever seen. A long banquet table and chairs sat in front of a fireplace the size of the wall itself.

"Well now," Cogsworth concluded. "I trust you would like to unpack before I show anything else?"

"If I may," Lumière agreed, following him to the servants' quarters.

His room was not far from the hallway leading to the dining room itself. Quite appropriate, Lumière thought with a grin. Not a large room, but assuredly bigger than his room at the château. Sitting on the bed, he smiled as he found it more comfortable than anything he had ever known.

"Here we are," Cogsworth said. "You may settle in, unpack your belongings, and then we shall continue. I expect you in the front hall as soon as possible."

"Oui, mon capitan!" Lumière announced with a grin and salute. As Cogsworth returned the blank stare he had given him before, the smile degraded from broad to meek. "Of course, I will be right there."

With a nod, Cogsworth left, and Lumière began to unpack the few things he had brought with him. Feeling a bit more content with his new home, he could not resist a tiny smile. Life was unquestionably wonderful, and it could only get better.

* * *

_Reviews Time..._

**TrudiRose:**_ You know I always look forward to hearing your kind words! Thank you so much again for all your help!_

**ShortStef:**_ Thank you for two reviews ASAP :-) Hope the a/n at the top cleared up the coat confusion! So sorry about that! My little Babsela will have her big moment and arrival in the next/upcoming chapters, (not sure how I'm arranging that just yet)so she's on her way. And if Peter's the one you're imagining as Lumiere, then I am most certainly doing my job right! LOL Thanks again!_

**Fairly Odd:**_ You're so forgiven, hun:-) Hope KH isn't giving you too much trouble! It's a very promising story, so stick to it! Thanks:-)_


	8. Chapter Eight

_Chapter Eight_

It is a proven fact that even after a great length of time passes, there are simply some things that a man never forgets. Despite his two years away from Paris, Lucien could find his way to _Le Fleur Noir_ blindfolded, bound, and chained if need be.

The very thought of seeing Babette again sent excitement and despair throughout Lucien's entire being. Knowing that they would soon be in the same room thrilled him to no end but nonetheless, a snowball in hell had a better chance of surviving than he did when she saw him step foot inside the door. If looks could kill, he was destined to be lying dead in a matter of minutes.

But he had no other choice; with his wedding in a few days, there was little time to put his plan into action.

Since the beginning of the Grand Tour, Lucien had thoroughly searched his mind for any possible means to reclaim his heart from the woman who had stolen it. As long as Babette was still employed at the dance hall, so near that he could feel her presence no matter where he was, he would never be free to accept his unavoidable fate of marriage. There had to be a way to move her as far away as he could, and still be assured that she would be all right.

All hope was lost until the week before. The promotion was more of a blessing than Lucien had realized. With Lumière being in higher servant ranks, Lucien now saw potential where he had originally seen misery. Everything happens for a reason; he had become a firm believer in that ever since the promotion. Not only could Lumière persuade his superiors to give Babette a full time position as a maid of sorts, perhaps, but he could also hire her onto his wait staff. It was a win-win situation! Babette would be taken care of, and Lucien would at last be free to move on.

What he would have given for something to ease the nerves in the pit of his stomach, Lucien thought as he reached for the doorknob. He hesitated for a moment, and took a deep breath before he entered.

How different the hall looked during the day with no customers in sight. Chairs were taken down from the tables to clean them; otherwise they were left alone to make way for the floor to be swept. The curtains were drawn open on the windows to let in as much air and light as necessary. And of course, while the girls were still scarcely clad in anything decent, more clothing than usual was worn during the day, Madame D'Araignée's orders. If any visitors wandered by, they were to receive a hint of what the nighttime brought, not a full-fledged visual.

As the only man present, it was not long before Lucien was noticed. Across the room, Odette narrowed a scowl at him before obliging his unspoken request to call Babette to see him. Moments later, it was Babette's turn to offer the same expression as she entered, drying her hands, apparently having been in the middle of washing mugs and glasses.

After Odette ushered the other girls out, praising the Lord that D'Araignée was gone for the afternoon, Lucien cautiously took down a chair and sat down, gesturing Babette to join him.

"You have a lot of nerve to show your face around here," she said, hands at her hips as she stood her ground.

Lucien did not move a muscle. "I did not come to fight; I need to talk to you."

"Then your efforts were in vain," Babette retorted. "I have nothing to say to you."

"But I most definitely have a lot to say to you," Lucien said, his manner still calm but his voice raised slightly. "And whether you want to or not, you will listen."

Babette snickered under her breath, clearly amused. "The mighty Vicomte still believes that everyone is his servant? Monsieur, don't make me laugh. Simply because you come crawling in here to demand that I take you back does not mean I must."

"That is _not_ what I said," Lucien replied, calling upon all his strength to remain calm.

"You did not have to," Babette said with a shrug. "All men realize they can not live without us, and when they do, they return ready to pay any price."

Lucien rose to his feet, a deadly look in his eyes as his patience began to fade. "I meant every word I said that night; every letter I sent was the truth."

Babette glared at him, unafraid. "Well, we both know what an expert you are when it comes to that."

"What more do I have to do to make you believe me?" he shouted, unable to suppress his temper any longer. "Tell me what I have to say!"

"Say you hate me," she snarled. "It will make it easier to loathe you."

Lucien shut his eyes tight, desperately attempting to calm down; this was exactly what he wanted to avoid. "We have to stop. I came here to help you, not to argue."

"Nothing you can do will help me, Lucien," Babette said, turning her back on him. The floodgates were threatening to open, and she could not let him see that happen. "You have no idea what you did to me that night. After saying you loved me, knowing that I felt the same way about you…it was all a lie! Everything you ever told me was a lie!"

Instinct alone was all Lucien could blame as he walked to her, enveloping her in his embrace. Thankfully, the battle must have made her weary; she did not resist it.

"I never lied to you," he said softly. "I meant every word that I said since the day we met. The last time I saw you…I had fought with my father to end the engagement. I did not want to go through with it."

"But you will," she muttered with disdain.

"I have no choice," he replied in the same tone.

Babette pulled away to look at him, unable to hold back her tears. "I know I am not the most moral woman alive, but I will not be a mistress."

"Nor would I want you to be," Lucien replied, drying her eyes with his kiss. "You are better than that; you deserve someone who can love you in the way I can't right now."

Babette knew she would most likely regret it, but she could not stop herself from melting into his embrace. Her heart was not strong enough to hate this man. "Then…where does that leave us?"

Lucien rubbed her back soothingly. "The same place we have been for the past two years…just on better terms, I hope."

Babette smiled halfheartedly. "Oui…but it is not where I hoped we would be."

Lucien grinned. "Then you _did_ miss me?"

"Maybe a little, just a bit," Babette said casually, but his expression clearly showed that he did not believe her. "Fine, very much," she admitted in defeat.

A lax curl escaped the loosely tied mass of her hair, and Lucien reached to brush it away tenderly.

"That is all I ever wanted to hear you say," he murmured. "I never meant to hurt you, but this is how it must be. If we must end this, I want to walk away knowing that there are no ill feelings between us."

Babette nodded. "That is it then?" she asked. "That is all you have come to say?"

"Not quite," Lucien replied.

"What else is there?"

"The only way to make life easier for the both of us."

Babette furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Lucien glanced around the room quickly to make certain they were not being watched. When he deemed all was clear, he took down two chairs, sitting in one and gestured Babette to the other.

"Babette, listen to me," he said, clasping her hands in his. "I can not leave you here like this. Surely you do not believe that you can be a show girl for the rest of your life."

Babette shook her head, her puzzled state increasing with his every word. "I still do not understand."

Lucien thought for a moment before he spoke again. "The least I can do for putting you through this is help you. I can get you out of here, ma chérie; you will not have to do this forever."

"I do not want charity," Babette interrupted. "If that is what you mean, then no."

"Do not look at it as charity," Lucien pleaded. "There is no future for you here; there never will be."

"Then what do you propose I do?"

Lucien smiled. "I have another job for you. It is not as 'glamorous' as you are used to, but it is a future and what many consider more respectable."

"I never worried about what others thought," Babette said.

Lucien sighed, thinking deeply before he said anything else. "Very well, if you want more than that, then think about this. It will help us both move on from here. Admit it, this place holds too many memories; I know it does for me. If you go where I can recommend you, it will be easier to accept our fates, and personally…I would feel much more comfortable knowing that you are safe and secure. If you do it for any reason…let it be for me."

Babette stared at him, indecisively. "What kind of job are we talking about?"

"Most likely, a maid," Lucien replied, but seeing an unsure expression begin to take over, he quickly added, "In the king's palace."

Her interest instantly returning, Babette asked, "The king?"

Lucien nodded. "My friend, the one I brought with me that night, was sent to serve his majesty recently; he will help you settle in."

Babette could hardly believe what she was hearing; it was unbelievable. The last place on earth that she ever thought she would _see_, let alone work in was the king's castle, the center of France and the very lap of luxury itself!

Above all, the royals and aristocracy stood by one another; she could always look forward to seeing Lucien again from time to time.

With a nod, Babette smiled. "We have an agreement then; name the date and time, and I shall be on my way."

* * *

_Holy crow, 10 reviews for the last chapter; not bad at all.I'm pleasantly surprised and honored, guys!_

**TrudiRose:**_ To write Cogs and Lumi again was SUCH a breath of fresh air, and after this chapter, I'm really looking forward to working with them again. Very glad you liked it!_

**Tinkerbell:**_ I am so delightedly honored by your review; thank you so much for your kind words! The musical is my standard, more so than the film, so to know that it's coming across so well is wonderful. We've got to chat some time so you can tell me more about your B&B on Broadway experience; I LOVE swapping stories. My email is listed on my profile page. (Oh, and I have to say, you're NOT the only one who has snagged a feather from Babs' costume, so don't worry about that! LOL!) Hope to talk to ya soon!_

**FairlyOdd:**_ I have GOT to see that pic! I love your work with Lumi and Vitani! Thanks!_

**Lyndsi05:**_ Very happy to meet such praise:-) There will be more Lumi/Cogs, and now Lumi/Babs, antics to come, so stay tuned!_

**ShortStef:**_ Cogs very much seems like the sort to repeat himself constantly, so I had no qualms about taking his infamous tour spiel directly as he said it in the film! LOL! Glad the coat matter is fixed up; I still feel so bad about forgetting that A/N! As for the young prince...he's not on the existance scene yet, and I'm still debating about whether I will go into detail about him. We'll see :-)_

**beautygirl:**_ Do I think Lucien was too hard on Lumi? Maybe so, but in such times as that, I don't expect any less from him. :-) To be compared to Disney though, wow, thank you! Very much appreciate it!_

**Nikki:**_ If you laughed at the joke...even if you were the only one...then I did my job right! LOL! Thank you so much for the love:-)_

**Nadiil:**_ Hey girl, I missed you! So happy you're loving it! Peter has finally read_ Condemned_ like I told him to, and he really enjoyed it. I was going to let him start reading this one, but he wants to wait till it's finished. :-) I'll make a fanfic addict out of him yet! LOL! Thanks so much and glad to see you back!_

**Knux:**_ Yes, met and know! LOL! I strive to do my best, and I consider myself very fortunate to have such loyal readers to back me up. Thank you!_

**CrystalTear:**_ I take it you enjoyed Cogs' _Romance_ debut then? LOL! As I've said, I'm SO happy I can start focusing on the regular B&B characters again; it's going to get interesting:-) Thanks for the perfect thumbs score!_


	9. Chapter Nine

_Chapter Nine_

Cogsworth groaned with aggravation as he ran towards the foyer. As if he did not have enough to do, now he had to worry about answering the door! Heaven forbid anyone help him by doing so; that would be much too difficult, he thought sarcastically. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath, and opened the massive door, trying to appear relaxed.

"May I help--?" he asked, but 'you' never crossed his lips. Before him stood a young woman, appallingly dressed, if one could even deem her as such. The dress she wore would be best kept under another, and it had certainly seen better days. Even with a cloak draped over her shoulders, Cogsworth blushed at how much skin she permitted onlookers to view.

When he was certain he could speak again, Cogsworth stepped aside to permit her entry and continued, "To what do we owe such a visit, mademoiselle? It is not often we receive visitors so unexpectedly."

She grinned, as if pleased to cause him a momentary loss of speech. "I was sent here, monsieur, by the Vicomte de Bontecou; he was told that you have a position open for a maid."

Cogsworth's brow furrowed, puzzled. "He was? By whom, if I may ask, mademoiselle…?"

"Babette, monsieur," she answered in a manner of introduction, holding out her hand to him.

Cogsworth eyed it for a long moment. Surely she did not expect him to kiss it; this girl was obviously a far cry from a lady! To oblige her, however, he accepted it, offering a slight bow instead. "Very well, Mademoiselle Babette. But again, I must ask who informed the Vicomte of the opening?"

Babette opened her small handbag, and handed him one of two letters that were inside. Lucien had intelligently folded them differently for her to tell one from the other, as writing names on them would have been pointless.

Cogsworth silently skimmed the letter, grimacing as he did. "To whom it may concern…make a fine, hardworking addition to his majesty's staff…give my thanks to Monsieur Lumière."

Restraining his oncoming fury that threatened to peak too soon, Cogsworth forced himself to smile as he led Babette to the sitting room. "If you would please wait here, Mademoiselle Babette, I will be right with you."

Babette nodded, making herself at home as he left by sitting in the large armchair. The moment she found herself completely comfortable, however, she jumped, startled by Cogsworth's scream as it carried throughout the castle from the foyer.

"Lumière!"

* * *

"Try as you might, ma chérie, you will not escape me."

Lumière threw back a tapestry with one hand, grabbing his latest captive—Veronique, one of the scullery maids—by her wrists with the other. Snugly hidden behind the cloth, he buried his hand into her thick blonde locks, forcing some to fall loose from the ribbon she wore, and hungrily accepted her kiss.

"I have waited all morning for this," he whispered, breathing heavily as he broke away. "Seeing you every time that back door opened, not being able to do anything more than gaze upon such an attractive vision. It was pure, agonizing torture."

Veronique pressed herself closer, just as anxious as he was. "Let's not wait any longer then."

"My thoughts exactly," Lumière replied eagerly, pinning her against the wall as he leaned in to gather her in his arms and resume their kiss.

"Lumière!"

The man in question pulled away, a disturbed look in his eyes with the mood unquestionably ruined. "Please say that you have not only learned to throw your voice, but also do a marvelous impression of Cogsworth as well."

"Lumière! Get out here!"

Veronique took a deep breath, still raging with need. "Unfortunately, non."

As Cogsworth called for him a third time, Lumière growled a curse under his breath before he whispered quickly. "We must wait a little longer, I'm afraid; later tonight perhaps."

"If we must," Veronique sighed.

"Très bien," Lumière agreed. "After dinner, in the washroom, I swear. For now, wait here until I can lead him away, and then back to the kitchen with you." When she nodded in understanding, he kissed her farewell, twice. "Until tonight."

"Lumière! For heaven's sake where are you!"

Lumière winced as he moved to Cogsworth's side, the man's latest call echoing in his ear painfully. "Mon Dieu, must you scream like that?"

Cogsworth scowled at him. "When it is the only way I can capture your attention, absolutely. It should not take my calling _four_ times for you to make your presence known."

Lumière raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Only four this time? Well well, I have broken my record."

Cogsworth rolled his eyes; the man was impossible. Gesturing Lumière to follow, he began to walk back to the foyer. "You have a…visitor downstairs," he muttered, openly irritated and very displeased.

"Who?" Lumière asked.

"A woman," Cogsworth replied, and in such a tone that Lumière expected 'What else is new?' to follow.

Lumière looked at him, a little worried. "She does not have a pram with her, does she?"

Cogsworth stopped short, almost causing Lumière to trip over him as the Englishman frowned. He decided against speaking, however, deeming the answer to such an inappropriate question pointless. Moving on, they soon arrived at the sitting room where it was Lumière's turn to stop short.

Staring at Babette as she rose from the chair, Lumière conjured up every curse known to man in his mind. There were only a few reasons why a woman of her sort would come to the castle, and whatever her motive was, the possibility that it was a good one was not likely.

Babette, on the other hand, smirked at the familiar sight of the 'gentleman'. "Ah, Monsieur Lumière is it? It has been quite a long time."

As Lumière was rendered speechless, Cogsworth spoke first, his seething temper just barely kept under control.

"This young…_lady_ has come in response to a certain 'maid position'," he said accusingly. "Apparently, you informed the Vicomte de Bontecou about it, and he has sent her. Care to explain?"

Lumière closed his eyes tightly for a moment, then sent a fierce look in Babette's direction. She in turn took the other letter from her handbag, and offered it to him.

"Surely you remember, monsieur," she said, subtly pleading with him to play along. "The Vicomte said you would probably forget, and sends this, along with his gratitude."

Taking the hint, Lumière accepted the letter, quickly unfolding it to read silently.

"_My friend. If you are reading this letter, you are most likely quite prepared to have my head served to you on a platter. Please, I beg you, convince them to accept Babette and then see to it that she is placed on your staff. I know that under your watch, she will be well taken care of. I am so sorry for any trouble this may cause, especially since I could not send you prior notice, but it is the only way I can feel at peace. Many thanks, appreciation, and apologies. Lucien."_

Lumière must have read through the letter about fifty times, hastily attempting to come up with a plan. Lucien owed his very life for this favor. As often as Lumière pushed himself to the limits without any serious trouble, his position was still on the line; this would surely be his downfall if he did not think fast.

Only when he felt confident did Lumière look at Cogsworth rather seriously.

"I have no idea," he said, calm and collected. "Truly no idea how in the world I could have forgotten. I am guilty as charged, mon ami. I desperately needed more members on my staff, especially with the banquet in a few weeks, and I wrote to the Vicomte, asking if he knew of anyone. Clearly he did."

From the expression on his face, Cogsworth was still playing the role of a detective. "Why was I not told of this?"

"I honestly forgot all about it with so much work to do," Lumière responded, not missing a beat. "Besides, the last thing I would do is trouble you with such a trivial request until I knew I had someone in mind. It would have been impolite, with all the _much_ more _important_ things you have to do. Saved you a lot of trouble, I think."

Cogsworth sighed in defeat. "Very well, I suppose we could give her a chance. But never make any decisions without informing me first from now on, understood?"

"Never again," Lumière agreed.

"And know this," Cogsworth continued sternly. "She is _your_ charge. Any mishaps or funny business at all, I am holding _you_ personally responsible. Teach her everything she must know about kitchen and dining room serving etiquette, and as she will be a maid, she is to know the cleaning schedule as well. All of this is on your shoulders, and yours alone. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely," Lumière said with a nod. "I would have it no other way."

Cogsworth frowned. If anything might have convinced Lumière to change this foolish decision, it would have been that speech. His mind was made up and there was no changing it. Cogsworth could only hope that he was not making a mistake.

"In that case, see to it that she is settled in as soon as possible," he concluded, and with a respectful nod to Babette and a last look of warning to Lumière, he left, muttering something about losing his mind.

The moment he was gone, Babette breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much; for a minute, I thought he was going to send me away."

"What are you doing here?" Lumière asked, cutting right to the chase.

Babette looked at him, puzzled. "You read the letter."

"I mean, what was the real reason you agreed to this?" Lumière continued. "No show girl in her right mind would ever accept being a maid."

"Why not?" Babette asked, indignantly. "Considering how most people view a show girl, this is certainly a more honest living."

Lumière glared at her. "This is not as glamorous as I am sure you think it will be; you will not last one week here."

Babette shrugged casually. "I clean a little, do whatever you tell me, and on top of that, enjoy the luxury of living in a palace. How bad could it be?"

Lumière took a deep breath. "Fine. You start tomorrow at dawn."

"Dawn?" Babette cried. "No one is awake that early!"

"A member of my staff most certainly is," Lumière retaliated with a smirk. "Tomorrow at dawn, and we shall see how long you last."

* * *

_Reviews Time..._

**TrudiRose:**_ Well there you have it, her official arrival; did it work:-) It's all downhill fun from here! Thanks much as always for your help!_

**Tinkerbell:**_ Lucien will have his last moment with Babs down the road, so you'll see. :-) As for school work, itdefinitely comes first; wouldn't have it any other way! Look forward to the thought of chatting, and good luck with finals! Thanks for sticking with the story!_

**Nadiil:**_ Of course I leave everyone hanging; I'm the diva of cliffhangers! Remember the last few chapters of Light? LOL And yes, Phantom is definitely a see more than once film! As for the boss, I'll see him tonight so I can warn him about becoming an addict:-) Thanks!_

**Knux:**_ Yeah, I know I didn't respond, and I'm so glad I fixed that. By the time I wanted to, I was so into the stories and figured what the point was. After I started this, I was determined to make it a good point to do so. :-) I do love the idea of keeping in touch with readers I can't talk with on a daily basis. Thanks much!_

**FairlyOdd:**_ Aw, short and sweet is better than nothing! Thank you!_

**ShortStef:**_ And so it begins! Like I said to Trudi, it is all just downhill fun from here! I have been looking forward to the castle bits ever since I started writing this. I'm just as excited, trust me! LOL Thanks much!_


	10. Chapter Ten

_Chapter Ten_

It was interesting how much varied states of mind affected one's abilities, Lumière mused. Sleepily rubbing his eyes, he made his way to the upstairs rooms in the servants' wing, which were occupied by many of the young women on staff at the castle. He could walk that hallway blindfolded when he was thoroughly awake, and still know exactly where he was going. He was a frequent visitor there after all. But having just groggily prepared himself for the day, still in a bit of a drowsy daze, he had to admit that, for the first time, he had almost forgotten which way led to where on that floor.

Taking a moment to think, Lumière nodded decisively, completely certain that he remembered which room had been given to Babette the day before. After bestowing his attention on a few girls who were awake at this hour, he halted in front of the door he was looking for, allowing himself a final yawn before he knocked. The response came in the form of an annoyed moan and a soft thud, most likely the result a small projectile of sorts being thrown at the door. Lumière smirked as he knocked again, harder.

"Room service!" he called in a teasing and purposely irritating tone.

Lumière heard a few noises coming from the room, footsteps from the sound of it, before the door opened. Babette glowered at him beneath a few pestering strands of hair that had escaped from her braid, a blanket loosely draped over her shoulders.

Lumière could hardly contain a laugh. "Let me guess. You are not a morning person?"

"Your intelligence impresses me," Babette drawled sarcastically, her voice a bit hoarse. "What do you want?"

"I already told you that we would begin as early as dawn," Lumière said with no remorse. "I should not have waited until seven, but I myself had overslept. I have to run downstairs to get everything ready for breakfast. Therefore, you are fortunate enough this once to have more time for waking up and getting dressed before meeting me in the dining room. I expect you there by nine."

"You are jesting, oui?" Babette groaned.

Lumière raised an eyebrow. "As you have obviously not learned, I do not jest about this, mademoiselle. Make that half past eight in the dining room, instead," he said, leaving before she could protest. One week, he thought with a smirk. She would not last any longer than one week for sure.

Babette's jaw tightened angrily as she closed the door with a huff. A gentleman was he? Oh yes, he was a gentlemanly something all right, she mused, roughly opening different drawers, trying to find something to wear.

A mere hour and a half to get ready! The man had to be out his mind, Babette thought angrily, throwing aside each dress she found. Wonderful, now she was annoyed, tired, and disgusted by the rags they had given her! Each one had a skirt that would sweep the floors better than a broom itself with sleeves longer than her arms. What was she supposed to be, a maid or a nun?

With a sigh, Babette searched another drawer desperately, but all she could find were a few toilette necessities and a sewing box…a sewing box…

Babette pressed one of the dresses against her to examine it. A few minor alterations would not take _too_ long, she thought with a smirk. She would show him; her superior or not, no one treated her like a common urchin and got away with it. Suddenly energized by thoughts of sweet defiance, she freshened up a bit before setting about the task at hand.

* * *

"She will be here!" Lumière said with a sigh, leaning against the dining room table and watching Cogsworth pace in front of him. "You really need to rethink your state of mind, mon ami; too much pessimism is unhealthy."

Cogsworth turned on him. "Do not talk to _me_ about state of mind when your own is not something to boast about," he warned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lumière asked indignantly.

"Well it is certainly not _my _fault that we have an unnecessary new employee, now is it?" Cogsworth asked in a scolding manner. "Pessimistic or not, I think before I act!"

"At least _you_ do," Lumière muttered, glancing over Cogsworth's shoulder.

As Cogsworth turned, both he and Lumière stared mortified at Babette as she entered the dining room. She had been more decently dressed yesterday than she did at that very moment. A corset alone would have been less scandalous! The neckline of her dress plummeted to a shameful point on her full figure, and the sleeves had vanished altogether, leaving sagging strips of cloth at the base of her shoulders. Worse than that, not only were her ankles in full view, courtesy of a greatly altered skirt, but much of her calves as well. Thankfully, her knees were still covered!

"Oh my Lord," Cogsworth said slowly, a repulsed, nauseated expression taking over his older features.

Babette stopped short at his words; as usual, her impulsive thinking had gotten the best of her. She had not planned on Cogsworth being in the same room. To defy Lumière was one thing; Cogsworth on the other hand was another. The latter could dismiss her in a heartbeat, and then what was she to do?

"What is…is…_that_?" Cogsworth asked in horror, gesturing to the dress. "What on _earth_ could have possibly possessed you to wear such a thing?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Cogsworth and Babette turned to face Lumière after he had spoken.

Lumière moved to Babette's side as he continued. "The girl apparently has sensitive skin; some of the material they make dresses from, mon Dieu! They must be a discomfort for her to the point of pain!"

Cogsworth stared at him blankly. "What in heaven's name are you talking about?"

"You can see her as clearly as I can," Lumière said with a shrug. "Honestly, no woman in her right mind would do such a thing without just cause." He turned to Babette with a scowl that only she could see. "Am I correct?" he asked.

Babette nodded, more than willing to play along. "But of course, there was no other reason!" she said with a smile. "Men just do not understand! Dresses are not as comfortable as they appear, and for a girl like me, they are weapons of torture! I turn as red as a…a uh…"

"As Cogsworth's face at present?" Lumière suggested.

"Yes indeed!" Babette laughed nervously. "Very much like it, absolutely!"

Lumière returned his attention to the man in question. "You see, mon capitan?" he said. "She is simply worried about keeping her skin so immaculate! No harm done!"

Cogsworth felt one of his headaches approaching fast; they had grown in number ever since Lumière had arrived. But now with this Babette at the Frenchman's side, Cogsworth knew they would only get worse.

"Have you done this to any of the other dresses?" he asked.

"Non, monsieur," Babette replied quickly.

"See that they stay as they are, then," he ordered. "Or else your 'sensitive skin' shall be dismissed immediately, if not sooner." He turned to Lumière. "And that also goes for you and your senseless rubbish."

Without even waiting for an acknowledgement, Cogsworth stormed off, leaving Babette to Lumière's mercy. Judging by the look in Lumière's eyes, however, she wished Cogsworth had decided to stay; murder could not be committed with a witness in the room.

"I did not know he…"

"Do not say a word," Lumière interrupted. "Anything you say right now can and will be used against you in the future if need be."

"What are you, a member of the castle guard in your spare time?" Babette asked, sarcasm dripping from her words. "I was going to apologize."

"Don't," Lumière replied sharply. "Instead, promise that you will learn to think before you act in the future, saving us both a lot of trouble. I shall then be willing to call matters even."

"All right, I promise," Babette said quietly. "But I am still sorry."

Lumière sighed; he was far too softhearted for his own good. That was his one weakness aside from a pretty face, and unfortunately she had that as well, among many other fine assets. He had to admit it, if she had worn that dress under different circumstances, he would be clay in her sculpting hands. He was, above all else, a natural, instinctive human male. Far be it from him to ignore an attractive female…especially one that was willing to use every mating sign known to man…luring appearance, teasing…

"Very well," he said, mentally shaking himself from his reverie. There was work to be done after all; if he did not cease his thoughts at that moment, he never would. "Come, your training begins now."

For the entire morning well into early afternoon, all Lumière did was teach, so much in fact that he was on the edge of boredom himself. All of his father's monotonous speeches were returning to haunt him as he passed them onto Babette. Soup bowl goes on top of the dinner plate; knives on the right with the forks on the left, each corresponding the correct course order. Red wine glass is placed slightly above and to the left of the white wine glass, which must be placed above the soup spoon, et cetera and so forth.

"And above all, once the place setting is complete and the course is served…keep practicing with that napkin!" he said. "Once that is done, our presence is no longer needed except to pass bread around and replenish the wine."

Babette glared at Lumière when he turned his back on the last sentence. Serving a meal never had this many rules and regulations, and most of them were silly at that! Precisely who thought it was a good idea to have so many utensils for one person? What was so horribly wrong about using one meager little fork, knife, and spoon for every need?

"You are still doing it wrong."

At his random words, Babette turned her attention to the napkin he had given her to practice folding with; it had become a tangled mass of knots. Tossing it onto the table in aggravation, she growled, "What does it matter? They are going to put it on their laps anyway, _unfolded_ mind you!"

"Presentation reflects our hard work," Lumière said, a bit of a sympathetic smile playing about his lips. "They should see it beautifully _folded_ first." He paused for a moment as she tried to fold it correctly one more time, and failing, before he took pity on her. "All right, I will assign someone else to napkins for a while; I have something I need to show you."

"What is that?" Babette asked with eager curiosity. At this rate, anything had to be more interesting than folding napkins.

Lumière laughed gently as he gathered two candlesticks and lit them. Handing one to her, he said, "Take this and follow me."

Babette obeyed, following him through the kitchen to a cellar door. Gazing into the darkness as they walked down a narrow staircase, she determined it was a wine cellar, and a well stocked one indeed. Many racks filled with different bottles lined the walls, organized and labeled to perfection.

"This is our territory," Lumière explained, his words holding a sense of authority and a twinge of pride. "No one is permitted entry to this cellar but myself and those on my staff. Everything down here is our responsibility, and we take nothing less than the utmost care of it. Never set one foot down here, however, unless ordered to do so."

Babette nodded. "Quite understandable."

"Most likely the only thing that is," Lumière said with a smirk.

On that note, he went on to show her exactly where various wines were located. Red, white, Chardonnay, champagne and the dessert wines, all masterfully sorted. For the first time since her arrival yesterday, Babette was truly fascinated.

If only her concentration had more of a focus on simpler things. Listening to him intently, Babette paid little attention to how she held the candle, and she gasped, wincing in pain as a small drip of hot wax fell onto her hand.

Lumière turned to her quickly, sitting her down on a crate before he placed both their candlesticks aside to determine the damage. As expected from such an insignificant little bit of wax, there was nothing serious, and he gently peeled it away after it had cooled.

"Perhaps I was right about sensitive skin," he laughed. "Hardly a mark, yet you make it out to be a deadly burn."

"Well it was!" Babette insisted with a pout. "The flame itself would not have hurt this much."

Without thinking, Lumière gently kissed it, his only intention to soothe her pain…but why did it take such a great amount of will power to draw his lips away? Her hand…so small, so warm and soft, especially for a woman who had daily used them for work. Only when she hastily pulled it away did Lumière realize what he had done.

"Babette, I…I am sorry," he stuttered. Stuttering, in front of a woman? He had never done that before! "I did not mean to…"

"But you did," she replied sharply. "And while I appreciate it, please do not do that again."

Lumière looked at her indignantly, prepared to defend himself, but surprisingly, he could not find a decent argument. He had been consumed with stress since her arrival the day before that…he had completely forgotten how truly beautiful she was.

"It will not, I swear it," he said, his defense vanquished. Whatever it would take to make her happy, he would do it…why on earth was he thinking this way?

Babette, on the other hand, immediately stood up. "If Monsieur Lumière will allow it, I would like to take some time to rest, just for a little while." She paused before she added, "Alone."

Lumière was about to protest, but decided against the idea. Perhaps it would be best for both of them.

"As you wish," he agreed, taking his watch from his waistcoat pocket. "Meet me in the dining room again in fifteen minutes; you still have yet to fold that napkin properly."

Despite her uneasy discomfort, Babette allowed herself to smile before she quickly made her way upstairs. Racing to her room as fast as she could, she closed the door behind her taking a deep breath. No, she could not deny the sparks she had felt inside when Lumière had kissed her hand, innocent as his intentions could have been, but she would ignore them. Her emotions would not overthrow her common sense, not this time. The pain she had felt at losing Lucien, coupled with her beliefs that the nobleman would someday come to his senses, had severed the bridge to her heart. Never again would another man claim her love like that. Ever.

* * *

_Reviews:-)_

**TrudiRose:**_ I am SO kicking myself for actually blabbing where the "pram" line came from! I just heard it from the source and thought it sounded so totally Lumi! Glad to see it worked. :-) And wow, for you to say this is one of your favorites is a BIG honor; thank you very much!_

**Knux:**_ I'm keeping a lot of things from book I,_ Beginning_, of the trilogy for this story, and the non-instant relationship is one of them. Considering that both Lumiere and Babette go through lovers like many change their underwear, I figured there had to be some reason why they would WANT to stay with each other. If neither one openly and immediately falls for the other...then they each just have to try harder. :-) It's an open challenge if you will. Course, we all know what's going to happen eventually, and it's already starting:-) Thanks much!_

**Stef:**_ It's the attack of the fluff; it has started! LOL! Hope you like this chapter just as much; thanks:-)_

**FairlyOdd:**_ Disney will NEVER touch my work! LOL! Kidding, totally; I love Disney really, but they can't have this. :-) Thank you very much. :-)_


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Chapter Eleven_

_Lumière halted when he reached the dining room, his heart racing when he found Babette waiting for him._

"_Did you sleep in again?" she asked, her finger delicately tracing the carved patterns on the table. "Passing the time until you decided to show yourself has been…unbearable."_

_As Babette rose from the chair, Lumière's breath failed him; she looked as appealing as when he had first seen her at the dance hall. She was wearing a rebelliously tight dress that offered a gratifying study of her perfect figure, and as she leaned against the table, she released her hair, cascading waves of dark silk, from the pins. Obeying when she beckoned him to come closer, Lumière was transported into ecstasy as the tantalizing scent of lavender radiated from her. _

"_You? Waiting here for me?" Lumière asked. "Did you…ahem…" His voice reached new heights in terms of pitch while she caressed his cheek. Coughing a bit to return it to normal, he continued, "Did you have a change of heart?"_

_Babette grinned. Wrapping her arms around him, she reveled in the delight of feeling him become rigid with desire._

"_Perhaps," she cooed with an impish look in her eyes. "As much as I want to, there is no denying what I felt that day in the cellar."_

_Lumière held her close, marveling at how natural it felt. He belonged with her, to her, mentally, physically, and emotionally. "And…what is that, my little coquette?"_

_Skillfully moving a few place settings aside, Babette drew him down to the table with a smirk. "Obviously you remember. From where I am…resting, I can certainly tell you are feeling it as we speak."_

_Lumière tried to meet her lips with his own, but failed when Babette turned them away playfully, forcing him to land at her cheek instead. It was not the preferred territory he wished to explore, but it would do for now. Affectionately nuzzling her there, so soft and warm, he ventured lower to the curve of her neck, grinning like a love drunken fool as she pleasurably voiced her approval._

"_Lumière…oh, Lumière…wake up…"_

"Lumière, wake up!"

Lumière arose from his slumbers just in time to hear thunderous knocking on his door as per Cogsworth's morning routine.

"Wake up now! There is much to do before this evening, and there is no time for you to waste on nonsense dreaming!"

Lumière grunted some sort of irritated, muffled reply before returning to the pleasant task at hand…but his kiss only met his pillow. Hell must have frozen over and pigs could fly off into the sunset because Cogsworth was right. It had only been a dream. Shoving the pillow against the headboard, Lumière turned on his back with a frustrated sigh.

For the past few weeks since Babette's arrival, Lumière had been plagued by dream after dream, but it could not be helped. Babette was without a doubt the most incredible woman he had ever met. Also, the most stubbornly feisty one, he thought with a smirk. Playful…beautiful…well-endowed figure…

Lumière dashed for the water basin on the dresser, praying the water was cold. Thankfully it was, and he gave his face a good splash, taking a few deep breaths. This could not happen to him, especially not today when everything was on the line. The banquet was his first true test to prove himself worthy of keeping his position; not even he of all people could risk it for a woman.

Glancing at himself in the small dresser mirror, Lumière could hardly recognize himself. He was still a young man in the very beginnings of his life. But with the stress of planning the menu for the banquet, training Babette and keeping her out of trouble, and now these fantasies, he looked and felt like an old, worn out fool on the verge of retirement. The shadows under his eyes were turning shades of purple that would have made the royals envious, and he doubted that he would ever have to powder his hair again if the aging rate increased any faster…

All right, that was enough pessimistic thinking for one morning, Lumière thought with a decisive nod. Such thoughts only made stress harder to deal with, and he refused to let either consume him entirely. He was not Cogsworth after all! Life would treat him well if he returned the favor.

Dressing rather casually for the time being to save his formal attire for later, Lumière raced downstairs to the kitchen. The devil himself must have been cursing his new arctic environment because Cogsworth was still correct. There was much to be done, and so little time to complete all preparations.

* * *

To say that the castle was elaborately decorated that evening would be a complete understatement, and a pathetic one at that. Guests gathered in the ballroom, always the center of every celebration, were treated to fresh flowers from the king's gardens hanging everywhere in sight. Magnificent banners and tapestries of the finest cloth were draped fashionably on the massive windows and pillars. The chandelier had even been lowered earlier to receive a thorough polishing for the event, and it now gleamed with radiance and beauty.

In the dining room, Lumière was working as efficiently as possible with his staff to have everything from place settings to the first course ready. If not for Cogsworth incessantly rapping away at the floor with what Lumière tauntingly called the "announcement rod", all would have been well.

"Look lively now, people!" the Englishman called, more bothersome than usual. "Dinner must be announced within the next few minutes; we must not fall behind schedule!"

Lumière sighed as his patience started to plummet; after this banquet was over, he was determined to teach Cogsworth how to work under pressure properly.

"You worry too much, mon ami," he said calmly. "We are just about done. Forget a few minutes; all we truly need is a few more seconds!"

"Try telling that to the most honorable royalty and nobility present, and see if you still feel the same way," Cogsworth argued, patting his brow nervously with a handkerchief.

Lumière took a moment to survey the progress, smiling with satisfaction as he saw everything prepared.

"Hand over that stick, and I will," he replied. "We are ready."

After Cogsworth shot him a look for the comment, he headed for the doors to make the dinner announcement while Lumière made his way to the kitchen to check on his staff one last time before the meal began.

Once orders had been given regarding the first course, Lumière scanned the room looking for Babette. He had not seen her since the preparations had started earlier that afternoon, and the last thing he needed was to find her making mischief somehow, or worse with _someone_.

"Looking for me, amour?"

Lumière turned, startled, to find Veronique pulling him aside to steal a kiss. Normally having no doubts about accepting such a delight, Lumière surprised even himself when he broke away gently.

"On any other night, ma chérie," he said, tenderly kissing her cheek, as one would do to a child. "We would be cuddling in each other's embrace. Should I make any mistakes tonight, I fear I would have to bid you adieu. They will surely dismiss me, and you do not want that to happen, do you?"

"Please, just a short…rendezvous in the washroom?" Veronique pleaded, tugging on his arm with a pout.

Lumière gently lifted her chin, looking deeply into her eyes. "When everyone has gone to sleep after the banquet tonight, I want you to meet me right here, and then we shall see where the night takes us." He paused for a moment to offer his appealing grin. "And I do not know about you, but I most definitely intend to…_enjoy_ myself."

Veronique gripped the lapels of his coat to prevent her weak knees from falling out beneath under her. "Really? Promise?"

With a kiss and a nod, Lumière replied, "Of course, do not be late."

Veronique shook her head as if to confirm she would not be, and offering a parting smile, Lumière returned to his search, content with his romantic work. His charm had never failed him, always ready when he needed it.

Across the room, he found who he was looking for. Assisting Mrs. Potts and Chef with a few dishes, Babette was thankfully doing something! Crossing to them, Lumière excused both himself and her, leading her to a wine pitcher.

"First floor task of the evening," he said, "Take this and refill glasses accordingly. Easy, oui?"

Babette nodded in agreement, clearly nervous. "Oui."

Lumière smiled with the intent to ease her fears. "Remember, this is red wine, and that glass is…?"

"Up and to the left," she answered slowly.

"Perfect," Lumière said, his smile broadening. "You are going to do just fine."

"I am going to be sick," Babette argued, grimacing.

Lumière shook his head. "No, you won't. I remember very clearly a woman that poured wine with great expertise when I first met her, and she stands before me now." His smile softening, he added confidently. "You can do this; I know you can."

A small grin played about her lips as Babette took a deep breath, and gathering the pitcher, she made her way to the tables. Lumière, in return, focused his closest attention on her from the door. Cogsworth was still fuming over the dress incident; one wrong move tonight and both Babette and Lumière were done for.

But tonight, everything was going smoothly. Babette was dressed quite appropriately, thank goodness, and course after course, she flawlessly did what she was ordered to do. Lumière grinned in approval, seeing that his theory had worked. Keep the girl in a familiar situation, in this case serving wine, and she would be at her best.

Meanwhile at the table, Babette slowly but surely grew accustomed to the routine; it was rather easy after all. Royals chattering away, wine flowing endlessly; all she needed was the music and a dance floor to turn her memories of _Le Fleur Noir_ into tangible reality.

"I do not remember this pretty face from any of the other galas," one nobleman said to her as she refilled his glass.

No one at the table had spoken to her until now, and despite being startled by the comment, Babette smiled politely. "Monsieur is far too kind," she replied, turning to continue the table route, but he stopped her.

"Does its owner have a name that will astound me as much as her beauty has?"

Babette smirked; just like the old dance hall in every way, she thought. "I do not share that as freely as any other girls would."

The man raised an eyebrow, amused. "How charming, a woman with spirit! There is something you do not see every day."

"While such a handsome, persistent man is far too common and not enough of a challenge."

He laughed gently, admiring her figure in the process. "And a delightful one at that! I must praise his majesty for such a fine addition to his staff."

"Delightful, indeed, in more ways than one, so I've been told," she agreed with a flirtatious smile and a wink.

From his watch at the door, Lumière frowned as Babette continued the banter with the gentleman. "What are you _doing_?" he muttered under his breath, beginning to panic. No, not panic. Of all people, the last person he wanted to resemble was Cogsworth, but as the very man himself was starting to send warning looks his way, Lumière could not help it. Those seated at the farther end of the table were growing restless without wine, and certainly would not find "flirtation" a legitimate excuse as to why their glasses had not been filled.

When the man had risen from his seat, obviously with the intention to follow her somewhere, that was the final straw. Ordering another staff member to take Babette's place, Lumière stormed over and stood his ground before them.

"Forgive the intrusion, monsieur," he said, trying to sound respectful before he turned a scowl on Babette. "You, come with me,"

"What for?" she asked.

"Now," he demanded urgently.

As she hesitated, Lumière took matters into his own hands, literally, leading her forcefully by the shoulders through the kitchen and outside.

"What in the world were you thinking?" he asked, cutting right to the chase.

Babette looked at him indignantly. "What did I do? I was just talking."

"Talking?" Lumière asked. "Is that what they called it at _Le Fleur Noir_?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Babette retaliated, quickly losing her patience. "I was not doing anything wrong! Where does it say I can not talk to anyone?"

"You were about to walk off with him!" he argued. "You can not do that here; you have actual work to do!"

Babette put down the pitcher she was still holding, lest she find herself unable to resist the urge to throw it at him. "I _was_ working! That is what I was taught to do!"

"Certainly not by me!" Lumière said, his temper officially lost. "I have never seen such a selfish display in my life!

"Selfish? Where was I being selfish?"

"This is not your dance hall; it is the royal palace! The king and queen keep us on their staff because they trust us to do our jobs correctly. Not how we want to, but how we must! You do _not_ waltz about doing whatever you feel like doing with a man who gives you a few kind words! Both of us could be dismissed for what you did!"

"Both of us, ha!" Babette laughed scornfully. "Now who's being selfish?"

Lumière sighed frustrated. "Fine. You want to keep this lifestyle? I will arrange for you to return to _Le Fleur Noir_ first thing in the morning. You held your ground longer than I expected, but I knew from the start you would not last here."

"Fine with me," Babette replied, trying to appear nonchalant. He obviously wanted to see her upset, and she would not give him that satisfaction. "Who would want to be here anyway? Celebrating with a grand feast, and over what? A baby!"

"A baby that will only be our very future!" Lumière argued.

"Yes, another royal, growing up to become a man, and make our lives miserable!" Babette growled. "Trust me, back where I am from, a baby is not something to be joyful about."

"How interesting," Lumière replied sharply. "It is not a joy, yet you and your sort have no trouble taking the risk of creating one."

Babette stared at him in shock; she could not believe the nerve he had to say that. "Take that back," she said quietly.

"I do not take back the truth."

"Maybe it is for the best then that I leave," she said. "I do not feel like being arrested for murder right now."

"You never should have been here in the first place," Lumière snarled. "What Lucien was thinking when he sent you here, I can not imagine, but I have never seen him think of such a stupid idea!"

Before he knew what had happened, Lumière found his cheek throbbing in pain as Babette gave him one strong slap. Watching her run back inside, he sighed sitting down for a minute to calm himself, something he knew he should have done to begin with. He did not mean what he said, but in anger, who does? In the morning, he would talk to her. Meanwhile, there was still a banquet that needed supervision, and at present, it was best for both of them to just leave her be.

* * *

**_Review Acknowledgments _**

**TrudiRose:**_ My partner in crime, I never tire of hearing you say that; keeps me knowing that I have done my job right whenever I doubt myself. Thank you for being there for me. _

**ShortStef:**_ Yep, she is a feisty one! LOL. Thank you very much; I always hope that readers in the workshop will still read the chapter after it is posted. There are always some last minute details that are changed sometimes, as well as the fact that you may not see all of it. And I still apologize for making you feel guilty! I just have a deadline that I am trying (and most likely going to fail) to make. Would be nice to have this done by the time the boss gets home. _

**Lyndsi05:**_ Always a pleasure seeing your kind words! Hope this next chapter was satisfying enough!_

**OrcaSpirit:**_ My newest reader, yay! Glad to see you are enjoying the story; like Lumi, I aim to please! _

**FairlyOdd:**_ Hey, I'm here for ya, babe! You need any help, send it right along to me, and I promise I will try to sign onto AOL more! Thanks! _

**Knux:**_Yep, another classic Beginning moment! LOL. Another one is sure to come, although you never actually saw it in Beginning, so it will still be brand new in its own right. Thanks much! _

**Serengeti:**_ Wow, thank you so much for your kind words; I'm very glad you enjoyed it! It's not over though, so I hope you'll stay tuned! _

**Klaske:**_You'll get your full wine cellar experience later, I promise! (wink!) LOL._

**BookRose:**_ Glad to see you back! I love getting your reviews, so detailed and uplifting! Thank you much for all of them! _

**Lyssa:**_ Hey there, glad to see you loved it! As I said, any time you need help with that fanfic, we're here! Really looking forward to it! Thank you! _

**Beautygirl:**_ As I told Trudi, repeat away; I never tire of hearing it all! Thanks a bunch for all the help! _

**Dark Beauty:**_ I believe the answer was well said already, but I must make my own peace as well. I wish you had looked beyond Chapter 4 to realize that I have in no way insulted two characters that I absolutely adore. I see where you could have mistaken my intentions, but Babette speaks there in a moment of sarcasm and mockery. She is a show girl, not a whore; they are two distinctly different things. As for Lumiere, he adores women, but he does respect them, again available to see beyond Chapter 4. I love these two and would never degrade them in any way, shape, or form. I purposely have the chapters checked before I post them to make certain that they stay fully in character, and so far, it has been a success. They are not innocent little angels, but they are not horrible people either. I am sorry you feel that I have done that, but rest assured, I never did._


	12. Chapter Twelve

_Chapter Twelve_

"Ow! That hurts!"

Shaking his head, Cogsworth watched as Mrs. Potts pressed wrapped ice to Lumière's cheek. From the looks of the "wound," Babette was a bit stronger than she looked, but the ice seemed to be more of a psychological help than physical. The smack had, in Cogsworth's opinion, hardly left a mark, but if it would make Lumière stop lamenting, so be it.

"Oh come now, I barely touched it," Mrs. Potts said with gentle amusement. "Now hold still."

Lumière winced. "With God as my witness, I will never make another woman angry; it is not worth the pain."

"Make a woman angry, indeed!" Cogsworth scoffed. "She received the scolding she deserved! Her conduct was far from appropriate and completely unacceptable."

Lumière shook his head, careful not to disturb the ice. "There is a scolding, and then there is acting just as childish as she did. I did the latter and should have thought before I acted."

"The both of you simply need to talk this over," Mrs. Potts offered. "When you feel you can talk to her calmly, then do what you must."

Lumière smiled appreciatively. Of all the castle residents, Mrs. Potts was the mother to all; many would assuredly be lost without her. She was the single person who understood rational thinking and compromise the most.

"Do you think she will be more sympathetic if I take this with me?" he asked, gesturing to the ice.

"I don't see why not," Mrs. Potts laughed. "Go on, Cogsworth can help me with cleaning up for now."

With a nod, Lumière made his way upstairs, allowing himself a laugh as he listened to Cogsworth whining over his appointed volunteer work. When he reached the ladies' floor of the servants' wing, Lumière took a deep breath before knocking softly on Babette's door. No answer.

"Babette?" he called. "Are you in there?"

Still he did not receive any response. Growing a little worried, as she should have been in there, Lumière knocked a second time before he turned the knob. Inside, the small room was pitch black, and Babette was nowhere in sight. Leaving the ice bundle by the doorframe, he tried to feel around in the dark in case she had left any kind of note, only to remain empty handed.

Returning to the hallway, Lumière called for her again. This time, a response was made as a door across the hall opened, and a younger girl, perhaps about thirteen, answered him.

"She is not here; crept away before and ran off," she said.

Lumière cursed quietly. "Did she say where she was going?" he asked.

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. "She was muttering something about a tavern nearby. 'It's not home, but it is close enough', I think she said."

Lumière quickly started thinking of the entire surrounding area near the Château Mountains. The only tavern that he knew of was in a town not far from the castle; if he left now, perhaps he could even reach Babette before she arrived.

Thanking the girl and hurrying downstairs, Lumière left instructions with one of his staff members to explain his absence before he raced for the stables. It was his doing that had made her run off; he would be the one to bring her back.

"Tell anyone who needs me that urgent matters have called me away," he said, "I will be back as soon as I can."

* * *

Dark streets and the sound of boisterous merry making met Babette as she strode to the door outside the local tavern. She had left what felt like an eternity ago on foot, yet she was still wiping her eyes free of tears furiously. Why she had cried this long, she did not have the faintest idea; all she knew was that tomorrow, she would be home and there would not be any more nights like this.

"I can not believe you are actually here."

Babette gasped, obviously not expecting to be discovered, but when she saw the owner of the voice, she frowned. Lumière rested against the doorframe, purposely trying to stand in her path.

"Step aside," she ordered, quiet but deadly.

"You do not know what it is like in there."

"You forget that I most certainly do, and even if I didn't, I don't care."

Lumière did not move an inch. "Those men in there are not as tame as the ones at the dance hall; they will eat you alive."

Babette shrugged. "Perhaps," she said before adding mockingly. "But you forget that I am a big girl; I can cross the street on my own, among other things."

Lumière did not give in. "Please…hate me if you want, more than you must be hating me now, but don't do this."

"Get _out_ of my way."

He sighed, infuriated. "I am coming with you then."

Babette shoved him aside. "I do not need you to shelter and protect me."

"You leave me no choice," he replied. "You were placed under my watch and responsibility; I am therefore bound to bring you back safe and unharmed." He tried to appear nonchalant when he continued, but to Babette's trained eye, he failed miserably. "Besides, I need a drink after all you put me through."

Babette shrugged indifferently. "Fine, but don't even think about interfering in whatever I choose to do. As far as I am concerned tonight, I have never seen you before in my life."

"As you wish." He finally conceded to her previous request, and stood aside. "After you."

Babette took a few steps forward, turned the door handle, jumping at the sound of a glass shattering, hysterical laughter and cheers that were heard.

With a taunting smirk, she said, "Just like home."

He mirrored her expression, which seemed to surprise her; she clearly did not expect it. "To each his own beliefs; some just know better, namely myself."

Visibly more annoyed and determined, Babette turned the knob again, this time going inside, followed by Lumière. The patrons instantly turned around as they entered, every male in the room leering at her as they took in the newest pickings. Babette held her head high, taking somewhat of a delight in their looks, and walked to the nearest table, giving Lumière a look when he tried to follow her. Hesitating for a moment, he nodded in agreement, moving to another table.

Making himself comfortable, Lumière ordered his usual glass of wine, keeping an eye on Babette from across the room. He had to give her credit, going through so much trouble just to make him miserable. He did feel something for this woman; what it was exactly he was still uncertain, but he did care about her. It tore him apart inside to see her throw herself into this pit of snakes, just to feel _better_ about what had happened before. Seeing the men move in on her, knowing what they wanted, was almost unbearable.

Over the rim of his drink, Lumière watched as she played the coy little flirt, talking to a man who pulled his seat right up next to her. They were a little too close for comfort if he had any say in it, and Lumière had to call on all his strength not to do anything stupid. When the man pulled her close, freely taking every liberty with his hands and her body, Lumière had to grip the table to keep quiet and still. When she slid onto her suitor's lap, goading Lumière purposely over the man's shoulder, he did not know which of the two to strangle first.

Lumière could not understand it. Babette was angry with him, she did not feel anything for him, yet she just had to taunt and tease? It was more than he could handle, and how he was not in a drunken jealous rage was beyond him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the playing field, Babette broke free of a rough kiss, grasping the man's wrist as he reached to undo the ties of her dress.

"Ah, you are in too much of a rush!" she scolded playfully. "It is so much sweeter to go slowly, to savor every moment, non?"

"To hell with slowly," he murmured feverishly, reaching for the ties once more. "I need you, all of you, right now."

Babette glanced at the table, searching quickly for another escape route. "I thought it was…traditional to have a few more drinks before being romantic?" she asked, placing his mug in-between them.

The man simply took a short swig of ale before returning his attentions to her. "There, that is all I need."

Babette reached for the mug, making him lose his concentration yet again. "But I have not," she laughed nervously, taking a drink herself. When it was empty, she called for more to stall him, but he drew her hand back to him.

"Do not worry, ma petite," he said huskily. "You will want to be conscious for this, I swear it."

"No…wait," she gasped, struggling to pull herself away.

When she managed to stand, the man followed suit, making his dominance known as he pulled her close again forcefully. "What do you mean 'no'?" he asked.

Babette tried to keep her panic under control with no success. "I think you know exactly what I mean," she argued fearfully.

The man laughed, obviously amused, before growing serious and pressing himself against her. "A mere woman never says 'no' to me."

"That must be why you need so many women; none of them can stand for such dishonorable intentions," a male voice interrupted.

Babette's eyes went wide as she caught a glimpse of Lumière standing behind her suitor. The man turned, although he met Lumière's challenging words rather differently.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, harshly shoving Babette aside to focus his anger on Lumière.

"I have seen you with a number of other women tonight, monsieur," Lumière lied, but from the gradually menacing look on the man's face, he supposed he had not been too far off in his accusation. "Obviously none of them would stand for your disgusting behavior, yet you continue to use the same routine."

The man loomed over him. "And what makes you such an expert on this one then?" he asked, nodding to Babette.

"I know my own lover quite well," Lumière replied casually, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the woman in question. "Her honor, thanks to you, has been threatened; I demand the satisfaction of hearing an apology."

"Honor?" the man laughed. "Honor of…of…_that_? You have eyes; you could see that she has anything but honor!"

Lumière's hand shot towardsthe man's throat, and gripping it tightly, he slowly brought the man to his knees before looking to Babette.

"Chérie, if you could join us for a minute?" he called. When she had done so, he turned his attention back to his opponent. "Now, monsieur, you were about to say…?"

The man remained silent, still determined not to give in, but as Lumière tightened his grip even more, breathing was becoming more increasingly difficult. Desperate for air, he gasped, "I…I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Lumière grinned politely and released the man, watching him fall in a heap to the floor as his face changed from blue to its normal color. "Much better, we appreciate it and bid you a fond good evening."

Taking Babette forcibly by the wrist, Lumière threw payment for the wine on his table before he led her outside. She in turn tore her wrist from his hand.

"Who do you think you are?" she cried.

Lumière raised an eyebrow at her as he untied his horse. "Only someone who just spared you from a humiliating fate, however little you deserve it. Now get on; we are going home."

Babette folded her arms, standing her ground. "No."

"Yes, get on," he replied simply.

"No," she said. "According to you, I do not work at the palace anymore, therefore you have no say over what I can and can not do."

Lumière sighed. "Suit yourself."

With a struggle, he picked her up, carrying her kicking and screaming, and placed her on the horse himself. Climbing on immediately behind her, he blockaded any kind of escape with his arms as he snapped the reins. Babette only sulked in unwilling defeat the entire way back to the castle.

When they arrived, Lumière walked with her to her room. As she was about to slam the door shut, he reached out a hand to stop it.

"Before I go," he said slowly, pausing for a moment. "I wanted you to know that what I said earlier this evening at the banquet was in anger. I do not regret my decision; your actions will never be deemed excusable. But I do not want to send you back, nor should I have said any of the cruel things I did. If you could find it in you to forgive me, and please say that you will stay, I will be forever grateful."

Babette did not look at him until his last words. Did he really just swallow pride for once and apologize to her?

She remained silent for a minute before she replied, "Much as I hate to admit it, you were right."

"You forgive me then?"

"Of course," she said with a hint of a smile. "A man must be somewhat sincere if he goes through as much trouble as you did."

"Do I dare to ask if you will stay as well?" he asked, mirroring her smile.

"Absolutely," she said. As he nodded, content with her answer, Lumière turned to leave, but Babette stopped him.

"Lumière?" she called as he turned to look at her. "Thank you."

"You are more than welcome," he replied warmly.

"And just so you know," she said quickly. "You…did not have to say what you did before. I am pretty sure he would have left me be without the 'lover' detail."

Lumière nodded with a smile. "Yes, I know."

Grateful for the darkness as he would not be able to see her blush, Babette grinned to herself, watching him leave. When he was gone, she closed her door quietly for the night.

* * *

_Reviews..._

**TrudiRose:**_ I'm seriously convinced that Babette just causes more trouble than she can handle sometimes, especially after this last chapter! LOL! Thanks much for all your wonderful help!_

**Nadiil:**_ Hey girl! Yeah, them getting together does start signalling an end in sight and there aren't too many more chapters to go. But it's not over yet! I have a deadline to finish this by next week so we'll see how that turns out. Thanks!_

**FairlyOdd:**_ You said it perfectly! But now it gets better! Thanks much!_

**ShortStef:**_ No apologizing! I'm only busting of course; it's my nature:-) Thanks for your kind words, and for considering a cameo for Lumi and Cogs in your story! Woo hoo!_

**Dark Beauty:**_ Aww, hon, it's ok really! (hugs!) I'm very glad that you read the rest of it, and you're more than entitled to your opinion absolutely! I like to write my fics by exploring endless possibilities; that's what makes B&B a gold mine of fanfic in my opinion. There is so much to explore and ponder over. This was just one of them inspired by the pros, but if you love the other way, that's perfectly cool! No hard feelings at ALL; hope ya keep coming back! Thank you!_

**Knux:**_ Glad to think Veronique is a fun character because her moment is about to come:-) Thanks for sticking with me!_


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_Chapter Thirteen_

Days turned into weeks, and weeks became months. With the banquet long since ended, the next event was fast approaching, and preparations were already under way. But as crazy as they could make a person, there was still time for life (and feelings) to progress.

Every day since the incident at the tavern, Lumière made every excuse to be by Babette's side, which considering she was on his staff was not very difficult. He always found something that he had to teach her, show her, or praise her for.

Many members of the castle staff noticed his growing fancy towards the young maid, even if she herself was not one of them. Cogsworth had been keeping a closer watch over Lumière since that night. Yes, work was still being done, but he constantly had to remind the maitre d' about everything from menus to preparations. Lumière's performance was slipping fast, and with another grand affair on the way, Cogsworth could not take any risks of him ruining everything over a girl.

On this particular afternoon, Cogsworth found Lumière outside the dining room, the latter watching as a few maids, including Babette, were cleaning inside.

"Well, now I have officially come to the right conclusion," he said.

Lumière did not even turn to him. "And what precisely is that?"

Cogsworth responded with a question of his own. "What, pray tell, are your intentions towards that new girl? That…what's her name…?"

"Babette?" Lumière suggested.

"Yes, that's it!"

Lumière shrugged innocently. "I haven't the faintest idea of what you are talking about."

Cogsworth rolled his eyes, not making any effort to hide the action. "Oh come off it, man; no one in this castle is so daft as to not see it!"

"Is there anything wrong with being friends?" Lumière asked, finally glancing at his older comrade.

"Is that what you are calling it?" Cogsworth replied.

Lumière sighed, shrugging once again. "Trust me, that is all we have," he said, rather forlorn with wishful thinking, Cogsworth noted. "Even if there were anything between us, and there certainly is not, it would be one-sided."

"On whose side?"

Lumière smirked, the hint of wistfulness still present. "Why the sudden interrogation? I already told you there is nothing between us that you have to worry yourself over."

Cogsworth's crisp, authoritative tone increased tenfold as he answered. "I am not blind, Lumière. I will admit that for the first few weeks after Babette's arrival, I was doubtful, but nonetheless impressed with the care and concern you took with helping her learn everything. Ever since the banquet, however, after the two of you apparently reconciled, this bond, this friendship of yours is somehow…more than it appears."

"What do you mean?" Lumière asked, nonchalant as always.

"You had your moments when you first came here," Cogsworth explained, turning his gaze to follow Lumière's as they watched the girls continue their work. "But you were still very diligent in your duties. You knew what was expected of you, and that your work came first above everything else. Lately, that is not the case. I can not continue to cover for you, nor will I accept your sudden laziness and disregard for your position. I do not know what is truly going on between the two of you, but whatever it is, I had better not find that it is interfering with your work. Is that understood?"

For once in his life, Lumière did not have an answer for him. All he could do was nod, and continue watching the action in the dining room. As Cogsworth turned to leave, Lumière spoke.

"Have you ever…been in love, mon ami?" he asked, shocking both Cogsworth and himself by even asking the question.

"Me?" Cogsworth asked, flustered. "Well…I…that is to say…why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular," Lumière answered quickly. "Just…my infamous curiosity getting the best of me, as usual."

Clearly not comfortable with such a subject, especially when the question came from a man who was considered an expert on it, Cogsworth was trying to think fast.

"Not that I can remember," he replied, finding this answer to be the safest one. "I never really took the time for such frivolous pursuits."

Lumière smirked. "You are right; too silly a notion to consider, of course."

"That is not to say that I am completely immune to the thought," Cogsworth said indignantly. "The opportunity has simply never arisen, that's all. If it did and everything felt right about it, then I imagine it would be a very pleasant feeling."

"Pleasant is an understatement, mon ami," Lumière said absently, gazing at his lady of choice distantly. "I mean, seriously, you find yourself with the realization that there is someone out there who is your perfect match. When you find her, everything about her just gives you the most incredible happiness, more so than you could ever dream of. You delight in what brings her joy; you want to protect her from every form of sadness. Every waking moment finds you wanting to be with her, just to see her smile…and she has the most dazzling smile."

Cogsworth listened to these words, glancing back and forth between Lumière and Babette. With a decisive nod, he asked, "You really do love her, don't you?"

Lumière snapped instantly back into reality. "What? No, of course not! I was just saying…"

"Rubbish," Cogsworth laughed. "You are _long_ gone, no doubt about it!"

Lumière folded his arms, leaning heavily against the doorframe. "Well, how would you know?" he said, moping childishly. "You just said you have never been in love."

"That does not mean I don't know what it looks like when a man is smitten with a woman, you ninny!" Cogsworth protested. Turning to leave, he barely suppressed his laughter as he added, "If only you could have seen your face just now!"

Lumière glared at him, following. "It could not be any more humorous than my favorite of your expressions."

"And which is that?"

Lumière guiltily looked at the ground. "I broke about five glasses this morning when trying to set the table for breakfast."

"What?" Cogsworth shouted, stopping suddenly in place, his face turning a deep red. "How much more careless can you be? Did you send for replacements yet? Then again, those exact glasses could never be replaced…why are you grinning like a fool?"

Lumière was smirking victoriously. "You just answered your own question," he said with a laugh as he continued walking.

Cogsworth scowled as he tried to keep up with Lumière. "There are no broken glasses are there?"

"Not at all."

"You did that to prove a point?"

"I did indeed."

"Lumière?"

"Oui?"

Cogsworth looked somewhat relieved, but his scowl was still present. "Do not ever do that to me again."

Coming out of the corner, watching the pair walk away, Veronique frowned at everything she had just heard. It was true then, just as everyone had said! No wonder Lumière had been ignoring her so much lately; he was too busy chasing after that little minx!

Storming into the dining room, Veronique narrowed her eyes at her unworthy opponent, attempting a casual appearance as she headed for Babette. When her target was in motion, Veronique purposely made certain to walk a little too closely to give her a rough shove.

"Watch where you are going, clumsy oaf!" she cried, startling Babette with her abruptness. When she only received an irritated look and turned back, Veronique added nastily, "Obviously the little schemer is too busy planning her next theft in the manhunt; doesn't even realize an apology should be made."

Babette stopped short, turning slowly to face her antagonist. It was no secret to anyone that Veronique would pick fights to amuse herself, but amusement was thoroughly absent in her tone at present.

"Schemer?" Babette asked. "Theft? What are you talking about?"

Veronique moved in, the huntress taking aim at her kill, as many others present gathered nearby to watch. "I did not think you would," she replied, laughing a bit in mockery. "A show girl they said you were? Before you came here? Then it makes sense then; I do not expect you to care which men are fair game and which are off limits. It would not matter to you."

Babette met her halfway, just as willing to strangle a neck or two. "You thought of that all by yourself? I am impressed; I did not realize how smart you are!" Reaching to touch Veronique's forehead as if to examine it, she added, "But then how could anyone notice a swell in such an already enormous head? I didn't think there was any room left inside for intelligence."

Veronique swatted at Babette's hand like one would a pestering fly; the time for games was over. "Listen, you worthless tramp; he is mine, not to be touched by your filthy little paws, comprends? Stay away from him."

"I do not even know who you are talking about!" Babette argued.

"Don't play dumb," Veronique snarled. "I have seen the way Lumière looks at you, spends every minute he can trying to get your attention! Worse than that, you encourage it!"

"That is what this is about?" Babette laughed. "I was not aware that friendship was such a mortal sin!"

"Friendship, ha!" Veronique replied. "You must be dumb, deaf, and blind! That is not friendship; Lumière wants you! Everyone knows that! Ask any one of them!" She gestured to some of the other girls in the room, and they nodded in agreement. "Friendship with a woman does not exist for him!"

"This time it does," Babette said confidently. "And that is all there is to it."

"Well it ends now," Veronique growled. "I told you, stay away from him. If you do not do so willingly, then I will personally see to it myself that you heed that warning."

Babette scowled murderously. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"You do not want to know," Veronique replied darkly. "The very thought itself would be painful. Just leave him alone."

"No," Babette said steadfastly, not willing to let this selfish brat get her way. There was no reason why she could not be friendly with Lumière because of such petty reasons.

Veronique glared, raising her hand. "So be it."

As Veronique swung her fist at her, Babette brought up her own hands in defense, although as it turned out, she discovered she didn't have to. As if out of nowhere, Lumière stood between them, gripping Veronique's fist.

"That is enough," he stated firmly.

Veronique looked at him, confused. "How did you…?"

"Have you not yet figured out that voices travel very well in this castle?" Lumière asked. "When people refuse to keep the volume low, everyone can hear them, and I am glad I did this time."

Veronique pouted. "She started it; getting in my way and jostling me as I tried to pass."

"You are not even supposed to be in here right now," Lumière countered, ignoring her comment. "In case you have forgotten, your place as a scullery maid is in the kitchen; I suggest you return there immediately."

"I was only looking for you…"

"Now," he barked. Veronique scowled at him, and tearing her hand away, she stomped indignantly back to the kitchen.

Dismissing the looks he received from the group in the room with a few parting words, Lumière turned to Babette. "It seems I am destined to continue saving your neck," he said with a smile.

"Apparently," Babette agreed, nodding. "But I prefer to stay as far out of danger as I can."

"She did not push you around too much, did she?" he asked, looking her over as if checking for any bruises.

Babette laughed gently at his concern, leading him away from any remaining onlookers. "It was nothing I could not handle, I promise," she said as they made their way to the hall. "You should speak with her though. She is rather jealous of our friendship, and I do not intend to stop counting you as a friend simply because her knickers are in a knot about it."

Lumière grinned. "I do not blame her; who could not be jealous of a woman like you?"

"Will you stop that?" Babette chided laughingly, although enjoying the attention. Whether from a friend or a beau, words of adoration never failed to please her. "People are going to start believing her rumors that we are more than what we appear!"

Lumière paused for a moment; now was as good a time as any to tell her the truth. Gesturing her to follow him to one of the sitting rooms, he led her inside, closing the door when he was certain no one had seen them.

"Funny you should mention that," Lumière said slowly, proceeding with verbal caution.

Babette smiled, somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Lumière sat with her on a chaise, holding her hands tenderly before he took a deep breath and continued. "Well, uh…would it be…so terrible if we _were_ more than friends?" There was that cursed stuttering again! Would that ever go away when he talked to her in the future?

Babette looked at him nervously, catching on to his meaning. She laughed dismissively, deciding on a coy response. "Lumière, mon cher, you are not making any sense; all your heroism lately must be getting to you."

"But really, would it?" he proceeded. "I mean, we are already friends, and that always helps. I certainly am crazy about you, and…"

"What?" Babette interrupted quickly. "What did you say?"

Lumière cursed himself quietly for letting his words run away with him. "We are already friends?" he asked, trying to cover his mistake, but without success.

"Lumière," Babette said, an impatient warning not to be foolish in her tone. "You know what I meant."

Lumière swallowed nervously, gazing into her eyes, the most beautiful he had ever seen. "Babette, I have been hiding my feelings for far too long; surely you must know how I truly feel about you."

"Yes, you are my dearest friend," Babette emphasized.

Lumière shook his head. "Non, more than that. You mean the world to me; you always have since the night of the banquet. Your determination and dedication, your fiery passion I love it all…I love _you_, all of you. My heart is yours, and I pray you accept it."

Babette was stunned, and for a long while, all she could do was stare at him in disbelief.

"I…I can't," she answered quietly.

The hopeful smile that had graced Lumière's face slowly vanished. "What? Why not?"

"I just can't," Babette repeated, standing up to leave.

Lumière stopped her, reaching for her hand. "Why not?" he persisted. "Is it…me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it is not you at all," Babette reassured quickly. "It is me…and him."

"Him?" Lumière asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Who?"

Babette bit her lip, speaking only after a moment of mental debate. "Lucien."

"Oh really now!" Lumière groaned angrily. "Not this again!"

"You do not know what he said to me!" Babette argued. "Lumière, he promised me! He promised that one day, we would be together! On the day I came here, he swore that he would find a way for our love to be possible!"

"Lucien is a married man with a strong sense of honor!" Lumière countered.

"You do not have to tell me that twice," Babette growled, remembering the last time Lucien displayed his brilliant honor a few years ago.

Lumière sighed, unable to stay angry. Reaching to caress her cheek, keeping his hand there even when she flinched at the touch, he said, "Think about that, ma chérie; whether he wants to or not, Lucien will stay with Nicolette. He will not leave her and risk his family's honor for reckless love."

Lumière gently drew her close despite her tenseness. "I can give you what he can not, Babette," he whispered. "I love you, I need you with me. Please, give me a chance."

Babette took a shuddering breath before she dared to look into his eyes. Of course, they just had to show nothing but genuine tenderness and devotion; why did she expect otherwise? This felt so right and true as if Lumière was whom she was meant to spend her life with. He had been her closest companion in the past few months, treating her all the while like she was the queen herself.

But deeper than those feelings, however, was hope that kept Lucien tied to Babette's heart. Like every girl, she wanted most what she could not have. Lucien was her first and only true love, and she was still harboring the strong belief that he would keep his word to return to her, married or not.

"No," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt this man, but she just could not agree to the pairing. "I can't, not now. Not yet."

"If not now, then when?" Lumière persisted.

"I do not know," Babette answered. When he slowly backed away, she continued gently. "I…I'm sorry; please try to understand."

Lumière nodded, desperately trying to cover the pain he was feeling; never in his life had he ever felt such a jealousy against his friend until now. Lucien had a wonderful, charming wife in Nicolette and yet he still held this woman, the woman Lumière loved, in his grasp.

Babette spoke up when the silence was too much. "Lumière? Are you…all right?"

What a question to ask now, Lumière thought ruefully, but answered aloud with his infamous smirk. "Yes, of course."

"Are you certain?"

"Quite," he said, a little too sharply he realized when he saw her startle. "I'm quite certain…but duty calls for both of us. Break time is over."

Babette looked at the ground, nodding, before she looked at him again. "Absolument, Cogsworth will have our heads if we take too much personal time, I imagine."

Much as she tried to ease the conversation, it did not help Lumière, who offered a halfhearted smile before he left the room. He had taken a risk and lost, and the last thing he wanted to do was let anyone, especially Babette, see his heartache. The sooner he was alone, the better.

* * *

_Reviews..._

**TrudiRose:**_ You know I tried to get some connection to Gaston in there, but all I got was the tavern itself. LOL He can do many many things but not defy the laws of time and space. :-) Thanks much!_

**OrcaSpirit:**_ I strive to give every servant the attention they deserve; the servants get little to no love so I desperately try to show them all off. Mrs. Potts is the awesome mom so it was a very good opportunity to get her in there again; she rocks! As for Babs, I'd love to see a bit of your work if you write her! I love seeing different sides to characters. Here, she is pretty different than how AU she is in my trilogy. Thanks for your great kindness!_

**ShortStef:**_ And Lumi gets heroic again! LOL I was chatting with some of the girls last night when I realized that this really is about the fifty billionth timehe hassaved her neck; they suggested Babs should do the same for him at one point. :-) I'm looking for that window of opportunity whether it's this story or a one shot in the future now. :-) As for the end, it is in sight, but all things must unfortunately! I talk about the deadline constantly but most likely I'll be all whiny after I finish it, how I didn't want it to end. LOL Thanks again!_

**FairlyOdd:**_ I wanna see the pic! I WANNA see the pic! LOL Thanks much!_

**Princeali:**_ They're getting there! Another chapter maybe, and...well you'll see! Thanks for the review!_

**Knux:**_ As I point to the chapter above and the remaining few to come, I happily say "I'm glad to oblige the writing request!" :-) LOL Thanks for sticking with me!_

**Nikki:**_ Girl I think you are the only one who openly admitted they caught a mention of Vincent in the last chapter! Thank you! LOL There, above is more Cogs for ya; thought you'd enjoy this too! Thanks for all those reviews!_

**Lyssa:**_ Above, I oblige the Cogs request:-) Cogs is probably the one servant besides Lumi and Babs that you will see in my work. I try so hard to include them all, but he usually pops up the most cause he's so fun to work with! So happy you liked this! Thanks!_

**Lyndsi05:**_ I have every intention of doing so, definitely. May only be a few one shots for a while; I didn't even expect this after the trilogy was over so it shows you never know what's going to pop up. :-) As for questions, I'm so happy that you say that. One thing about fanfics is being able to dive in with few limitations and really analyze these characters, plots, and personalities; that's what keeps the B&B fandom interesting for me in adulthood, just as strongly as it was when I was a kid. Thank you very much for the praise! Hope this is a satisfying new chapter :-)_


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Chapter Fourteen_

Numerous coaches had arrived on the glorious evening, bringing only the crème de la crème of French nobility to the palace. News of a royal command performance by the acclaimed opera diva, Madame de la Grande Bouche, had drawn quite a crowd, and all gathered in the castle's music room with anticipation. Hers was a stunning soprano, much enjoyed by anyone whose ears had witnessed its melodious sounds. Each song she sang that evening had her audience hanging on every note, making it quite a pleasant evening for all.

Despite all the merriment, however, not all in the castle were enjoying themselves. In the ballroom, waiting for the performance to end, Lumière kept to himself, attempting not to sulk. He had not been himself for the past few days, and thus the majority of the staff knew to leave him be. Part of him felt apologetic for his unnatural pessimism, but another part of him could not care any less. Pieces of his heart were strewn about within him where it still lay shattered, and he did not want any help in picking them up.

Friendship, the last word he wanted to think about; such a wonderful term that now meant only pain for him. Babette did not want him as a lover, only as a friend. A mere companion, and all because she still pined for a man that she could not have! A man who could never offer her anything.

But Lumière could. He could give her everything she desired: words, gifts, and above all true love and passion. But none of that mattered so long as she still held onto the ridiculous belief that Lucien would come for her and ride off with her into the night.

_Speak of the devil_. Lumière quickly changed expressions as he saw the nobles beginning to pour into the ballroom, and lo and behold, there was the man of the hour himself. This being the first time he had seen Lucien since being promoted to the castle, Lumière knew he should have been overjoyed instead of miserable. Lucien never expected him to fall for Babette after all, but that did not change the fact that such feelings had taken hold of Lumière.

One smile of friendship from Lucien, however, found his mood lifting as Lumière mirrored the smile genuinely. Meeting him halfway, Lumière bowed playfully, just as he had when they were children, to poke fun at his friend.

"Well, well, the honorable Vicomte de Bontecou," he laughed. "It has been far too long!"

"Too long or not long enough?" Lucien asked in the same manner before his expression became more serious. "It is wonderful to see you, mon ami; the château is not the same without you! I must beg the king to grant your return to us."

"And just when I was beginning to enjoy it here!" Lumière sighed, mockingly forlorn.

Lucien laughed heartily. "All right, you are driving an unspoken hard bargain, but what if I said return for a visit instead?"

Lumière nodded, exaggeratedly pleased. "Much better; I fear I'd actually miss this place if I ever had to leave."

"They are treating you well, then?" Lucien asked. "You must be getting into as little trouble as possible."

Lumière shrugged with a smirk. "Still about the same amount of trouble actually; I am just too wonderful to be dismissed, I guess."

Lucien nodded in agreement. "You are correct; they would be mad to get rid of you." He quieted his voice before he continued. "And…how are…the others faring?"

"Others?" Lumière asked, before the realization struck, causing his smile to fade a bit. Just when he had begun to forget about his woes, Lucien had to say that. "She is well; doing a splendid job, better than I thought she would at least."

"Really?" Lucien asked curiously. "No trouble at all?"

Lumière lowered his gaze to the floor, trying to end the topic as soon as possible. "Not too much, no. There were a few…mishaps in the beginning, but everything has gone smoothly since."

Lucien grinned sympathetically. "Was it so bad that you even fear to speak of it?"

"I would prefer not to speak of her in general," Lumière said seriously. "Please, trust me."

Lucien's expression gradually lost its jovial nature. "Very well, so be it."

Lumière used the momentary pause to his advantage. "But really now, so many questions about me, and not nearly enough about you!"

"That, mon ami, is because my life dulls in comparison to yours," Lucien replied with a smirk.

As the two friends continued their talk, Babette halted in shock across the room. She always scanned the room constantly during every grand affair at the palace to keep herself occupied and of course, to look for Lucien. Time and again, the latter had not been found, but now…there he was.

He would keep his promise after all, just as she had prayed he would! Why he had not informed her, she did not understand; but after a moment's thought, she realized it would have been silly. She could not read notes if he had sent one, and would not _dare_ to let such information be discovered by having someone read it to her. But perhaps that was the idea! He did not want her to know about the getaway, Babette thought with a dreamy smile. He would surprise her by arriving first, and then, after the reception, carry out his plans!

Slowly, ever so casually, Babette crossed the room, plotting ways to cut in on their conversation, the most difficult block in her path being Lumière himself. Surely his jealousy would begin to show itself at her efforts, but she could not let that stop her. He still did not comprehend that all they had between them was friendship. As caring, wonderful…and admittedly handsome as he was, she would not give him any more than that.

But just as she came within a close distance, Babette found herself stopping short again. A woman had joined the pair, taking Lucien's arm. That must have been his wife, but what would she be doing there? Watching the way Lucien introduced her to Lumière, however, it all made sense. Lumière would keep her occupied while Lucien and Babette made their escape!

Sheer brilliance, Babette thought, moving within hearing range to listen for any signals.

"An honor, it is, madame," Lumière said politely with a bow. "Such a pleasure to see you again; you look just as splendid as when I last saw you."

Lucien raised a playful eyebrow. "Be careful, ma chérie," he said to Nicolette. "He is quite the sly one, known to steal a lady's heart right out from under her suitor or husband's nose."

"You have nothing to fear," Nicolette laughed. "My heart is tied securely to yours; not even Monsieur Lumière could take it away."

It was now Lumière's turn to raise an eyebrow, but in his case, with surprise. "What is this? Marriage has made lovebirds out of you?"

Babette froze as she turned slightly to look at the group. Lucien was sweetly gazing into Nicolette's eyes…the same way he had done to her when they first met.

"Very much so," Lucien said affectionately. "Before I knew what had happened, she had me wrapped around her little finger; 'twas impossible not to fall for her."

Babette could hardly watch, wide eyed in horror, as the couple shared a tender kiss. Lucien had forgotten about her, abandoned her like a worn out glove! He was not here to take her away…obviously he never would! Distractedly, she began to back away, but jumped, startled, when she accidentally bumped into one of the guests.

"Of all the nerve!" the man shouted, clearly displeased. "Have you no sense of direction?"

All eyes turned on the scene, including those of Lumière and Lucien, both of whom realized, with a flash of terror, to whom he was speaking. Babette glanced at the noble before turning her tearful gaze on Lucien, and after muttering a quick apology, she hid her face in embarrassment, racing for the door.

Lumière sighed. "If you both will excuse me," he said, cautiously. "New girl, very high strung."

Following Babette to a nearby sitting room, noticing ruefully that it was the exact one where she had rejected him, Lumière paused before he spoke.

"Eavesdropping," he said. "It seems like a good idea, but it never fails to go awry."

Babette did not even look at him. "I suppose you are pleased with yourself," she muttered angrily. "You were right all along."

"I would never be so cruel, you know that," Lumière said, sitting at her side.

Babette slid away in response. "Leave me alone. I do not need your sympathy, nor will I accept any of your attempts to use this to your own advantage."

Lumière looked at her, clearly insulted. "You never cease to amaze me by showing how petty you think I am," he said. "The last thing I remember, we were friends, and friends are supposed to be there for one another in times of need."

"Then as a friend, just leave me alone!" she cried.

After a moment, Lumière finally stood to leave, having seen in her eyes the same pain and heartache he had felt a few days before. With understanding, he simply nodded, respecting her need for solitude and made his way to the hall. There, he found Lucien waiting.

"I heard," Lucien explained before Lumière could protest. "I only have a few minutes, and I must speak with her. Do not tell Nicolette where I am."

If it had been anyone but Lucien, Lumière would have remained steadfast in seeing that Babette was left alone. However, this was what she needed instead: to hear once and for all, from Lucien himself, that she was free. Thus with a simple nod of agreement, Lumière left, leaving Lucien to face Babette.

Proceeding cautiously into the room, Lucien was speechless. Thankfully Babette was the first to speak; she must have heard his footsteps.

"I thought I told you to--," she began, but stopped as she saw that the man before her was not Lumière.

Lucien offered a weak smile. "Not who you expected?"

A new wave of tears flooded Babette's eyes as she tried to find something to say to this man. "You promised me," she said finally. "You promised, and once again, you lied."

Lucien sat beside her, taking a deep breath. "I know, and I am sorry. I did not expect to fall in love with her."

"And clearly forget about me," Babette replied, anger glazing her tone.

Lucien shook his head. "I have never forgotten you, and I never will. No one forgets their first love."

Babette sniffed gently, swallowing a lump in her throat. "She…she is very pretty; how could you not love her?"

"Yes, she is lovely, but not just in her appearance," Lucien corrected. "Nicolette is a wonderful woman. The more I have gotten to know her, the more I realized…she is a lot like you."

Babette looked at him curiously. "Really? How?"

Lucien grinned from ear to ear, clearly overjoyed to speak of his wife with pride. "She is very spirited and completely outspoken," he laughed. "I doubt any other man would be able to stand for her as much as I do. In any other situation, I believe you both would have enough in common to be very good friends."

Babette tried desperately to suppress a fresh flood of crying. "Friends…like we must be now?"

Brushing back a bit of her hair, as a father would do to his child, Lucien nodded. "Babette…ma chérie, I want you to listen and understand," he began, only continuing after receiving a nod of confirmation to his request. "I was foolish and impetuous when I met you; you were unlike any woman I had ever known. I closed my mind to all other thoughts of women except for you. Nonetheless, you were my first love; I could never just throw your memory aside.

"I will always love you, and care for you, no matter what; I want you to know that." He paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "But how I do so has changed. Nicolette means the world to me, and how I loved you then…is how I feel for her now. I did not plan for that to happen, but it has. I was meant to be with her.

"But I will never just abandon you," he emphasized. "I have never cast you from my heart as you seem to think I have. I will always be here if you need me; our love has simply changed from passion to friendship."

Friendship, Babette mused to herself; the word of the week!

"I…I understand," she said, trying to conceal her breaking heart. All she wanted to do at that moment was find Lumière and tell him how sorry she was for making him feel this much pain. "It is over; truly…over," she added.

"Our romance, yes," Lucien said, attempting to be comforting, but knowing quite well that there was nothing comfortable about their situation. Smiling gently, he continued, "For us, the time has come to romantically say good-bye…but when one door closes, another is certain to open."

Babette looked at him, puzzled, as she accepted his handkerchief to dry her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I know for certain that there is a man, in this very castle, who loves you," he said gently. "I could see it in his eyes before."

Babette's eyes went wide in realization, but she simply said, "I do not know what you mean."

"Babette," Lucien said with a knowing smile to match his tone. "Give him a chance; not just this instant, but soon. I promise you will not regret it."

As the clock on the mantle tolled a quarter after the hour, Babette sighed. "You had better return to the ballroom; she must be missing you."

Lucien nodded in agreement, standing before helping her to do so. Embracing her soothingly, he said, "Thank you…for everything you have ever given me."

Babette pulled back to look at him with a smile. "I hope your lady knows how lucky she is," she whispered.

Lucien smiled proudly. "I am quite sure she does."

Babette laughed, despite her lingering solemn mood. "I will never forget you," she promised.

"I most certainly will say the same about you," Lucien agreed, his smile softening. Leaving a kiss on her cheek, he left her in peace.

With a shuddering breath, Babette sat down once again to collect her thoughts when a fellow maid peeked in through the door a few minutes later.

"Monsieur Lumière says that he understands if you want to take the rest of the night off," the young girl said meekly. "He will cover for you."

Babette nodded, rising from her seat and joining her in the hallway. "Tell him that will be best, and be sure to thank him for me."

The girl agreed and left as Babette slowly made her way upstairs. She would personally see to it that she thanked Lumière herself eventually. In her current state of mind, the last thing she would be able to do was focus on her work, and she was grateful for his understanding that.

Closing her door once she reached her room, Babette collapsed on the bed, allowing one last flood of tears to fall before allowing herself to attempt rational though. But sleep had other intentions for her, and took hold of her very quickly. Her many thoughts to ponder would simply have to wait till morning.

* * *

_Just wanted to say thank you first for the common "great jobs" about the Lumi/Cogs banter bit in the beginning of the last chapter! Now onto the specifics in the **Reviews**..._

**TrudiRose:**_ (sniffs with you!) Yeah, it's almost done, but I WILL make that deadline. May wait to post the last two chapters, but I'm going to keep on going! Glad you liked it:-)_

**OrcaSpirit:**_ Can I have thestick to smack her with next? LOL Nah, Veronique was a blast to write; shockingly, I had Pam Klinger's interpretation of Babette in my head while I was writing her, so she's almost what Babs may turn out to be. Just a heck of a lot meaner; Babs is at least nice about her insults. LOL Thanks much!_

**ShortStef:**_ Did this satisfy that need to see Lucien one last time:-) Thanks much for your kind words about Lumi; he's my guy so I always try my best to write him to the fullest. Hearing I did a good job just boosts the ego and makes me proud:-)_

**Lyssa:**_ Would I EVER not let them get together? Have you lost trust in my position as a Pyromatic Fluffball? LOL I'm busting ya. :-) Never fear, it's all down hill from here, so stay tuned! Thanks much!_

**Princeali:**_ Yes he will! LOL Stick with the last two chapters on the way and you'll see how. :-)_


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Chapter Fifteen_

Time seemed to thoroughly enjoy passing quickly over the Château Mountains. Before anyone had noticed, another few weeks had turned into a month.

One warm summer night, Babette sat in front of a tiny mirror in her room, brushing her hair out for the evening after a long day's work. Lucien's last visit still played vividly in her mind, but over time, the pain had gradually become less of a burden.

He had released her from their bond, but at the same time, he was willing to let her be as happy as he was. An amicable parting had somehow brought a strong sense of peace that she never expected. Lucien had found the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with, and his wife obviously felt the same way about him. As a friend, Babette was now quite content to accept that.

As for herself, romance was coming into her life again slowly but surely. A few days after Lucien's visit, she reopened her heart to the friendship between herself and Lumière, allowing it to flourish and grow. It was difficult at first with the feelings of love still being one-sided, but as time went on, any discomfort she was feeling slowly vanished. Their playfulness, their talks, everything they had shared before Lumière had confessed his love returned as if no such words were said.

Lumière himself found a growing delight in their friendship as well. Simply having her by his side was all he wanted at present; love would hopefully bloom in time, but he refused to rush her towards a romantic relationship. He cared about her too much to force her into something they both knew she was not ready for. Only when the time was right would he attempt to woo her into a courtship. The decision was in her hands alone, and Lumière made absolutely certain that Babette understood that.

Tonight, however, was _the_ night.

Rising from her seat, Babette changed into one of the dresses she had altered upon her arrival, one that she affectionately called the "Cogsworth Compromise." The sleeves and neckline had been cut, just like her dress of rebellion, but the skirt was a long, appropriate length. The perfect choice, she thought with a smile.

Leaving her hair loose, Babette quietly made her way to the wine cellar. According to the rest of his staff, Lumière was always there in the evening, making certain that all was in order and taking notes for inventory. Sure enough, they were correct. As Babette silently treaded down the cellar stairs, she heard the sounds of bottles clinking and being moved nearby, and following the noises, she found Lumière instantly.

He did not hear her at first, and of course, her presence startled him when he turned suddenly to find her standing there.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked once he caught his bearings, his tone revealing more of a concern than a scolding. "You should be in…"

Whether he was about to say "bed" or "your room", Babette would never know, nor did she care, for she had placed her finger gently on his lips to silence him.

"I know where I should be," she whispered, "But it is not where I _want_ to be."

Lumière looked at her in confusion, reaching to remove her finger from his lips although he did not let go of her hand. "Babette, you really should get some rest. Tomorrow is a cleaning day, remember? You are not under my jurisdiction for that, thus I can not cover for you."

Babette smiled, bringing his one hand around to her back along with the other, as she leaned into his embrace. "I have done the same amount of work on a mere ten minutes of sleep; I will be all right," she said. "But I must speak with you."

Desire was Lumière's only instinct in times when such an exquisite woman wanted him to hold her close, but he called upon every bit of strength he had to resist her. "What could you possibly have to see me about at such a late hour?" he asked, barely able to keep his voice from quivering.

"Something that could not wait until morning," she replied.

Before Lumière knew what had happened, the most incredible feeling overpowered him as she drew his lips to hers. Their first kiss, such a simple action that was very common between lovers of course, but never had one been as amazing as this. Not even in his dreams had Lumière felt such an elating sensation! It was the solitary experience that he had wanted ever since he realized how much he loved this woman, and in tangible reality, it was more breathtaking than he could have ever imagined.

When she broke away from the joining, laughing gently at his surprised and rather euphoric expression, Lumière desperately tried to draw her into it once again.

"Ah, ah, ah; not yet," Babette warned with a grin. "I was serious when I said we needed to talk."

Lumière smirked, promise gleaming in his eyes. "Actions very often speak louder than words."

"Even if those words were as strong as…'I love you'?" Babette asked coyly.

Lumière immediately ceased his attempts to continue their kiss to look at her. "Did you…say what I think you said?" he asked, a smile slowly forming over his lips.

Babette returned the smile, affectionately reaching to stroke his hair. "I have been thinking about this for so long," she explained, slowly sitting on the ground and leading him to sit beside her. He, of course, obeyed before she continued. "You have given me time to sort out my feelings, and I can no longer hide, nor deny them any longer. I suppose…I have always loved you, mon cher, but I was foolish, thinking about Lucien."

Lumière shook his head. "It was not foolish," he said. "One thing that I have grown to adore about you, Babette, is your strong belief in whatever you are passionate about. You felt in your heart that he would be there for you; now that I think about it, I would not have expected any less."

"But look where my beliefs left me," Babette protested. "Pining for a lost love that would never be what it was…when my true love was at my side the entire time."

Lumière could not suppress a grin. "You do not know how wonderful it is to hear you say that," he said, reaching to hold her close. She was all too willing to cuddle in his arms as he added, "Late is better than never."

Babette smiled, toying with the buttons on his coat. "It is the honest truth," she whispered. "You have been nothing but good to me, Lumière. The day I arrived you could have very easily turned me away without a second glance to keep your place here secure." She turned her eyes up to gaze into his, her smile broadening as she saw genuine love and happiness. "But you did not; you believed in me when no one else did. Even in our most heated arguments, you never lost faith in me. I regret not realizing that sooner."

"It takes a special woman to draw love out from its murky mist of a hiding place, ma chérie," Lumière replied, brushing a loose curl from her face gently. "I never dreamt I would ever find the love that I feel for you."

"You think I am special then?" Babette cooed playfully, moving from the buttons to the lace cravat at his neck.

"Special enough for the most brilliant and romantic man in the world?" he asked with a smirk. "Oui, I believe so."

"This man is not exactly a modest one, is he?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "Perhaps I should reconsider before it is too late."

"Of course, you shouldn't," Lumière replied, gathering her hand to kiss each fingertip one by one.

She gasped softly at his touch. "I shouldn't reconsider? Why is that?"

Lumière tenderly took both of her hands in his. Placing a kiss into her palms, he trailed his lips along her arms in exploration, muttering in-between each moment of contact. "Only a woman who is equally as brilliant and romantic…namely yourself…should be his mate…his one love till the end of eternity."

Babette grinned, a coquettish gleam in her eyes as she leisurely rested on the floor, beckoning him to follow. "There is no end to eternity," she whispered. "Is he certain he wants to be with her for as long as that?"

Lumière replied first with a soft, soothing kiss before he answered, "Absolument, mon amour."

With her eyes fixed on his, Babette took Lumière's hands, placing them at the ties on her dress. Although he understood her silent plea, however, he stalled for a moment as if questioning whether he should oblige her.

Babette only leaned in close to his ear, and whispered, "Please."

Lumière closed his eyes tightly, his weakening will power failing him as she warmly breathed the simple request in a single word. Watching her expression intently, waiting for any sign of discomfort, he met her demand, undoing the lace bodice strings from her dress. She, in the meantime, returned the favor with his own buttons and ties.

Neither Lumière nor Babette were innocent in the physical sense of love, each having their share of previous lovers. Before tonight, it had always been about the bodily pleasure, the sheer ecstasy of the joining between a man and a woman. But nothing they had ever experienced felt so pure, so true than that of which occurred that evening. At the very instant he had taken her, the couple had truly become one in body and spirit, realizing even in such a divine moment that they were meant to be together.

After quite some time, with their energy clearly spent, Babette rested against Lumière's shoulder, closing her eyes pleasantly exhausted.

Lumière combed his fingers through her tangled locks. "And thus begins the sweet seduction of sleep," he murmured softly.

Babette shook her head. "I am just resting my eyes."

"A likely story," Lumière laughed, lightly running his other hand over the smooth curve of her waist. "Dare I try to get the truth out of you?"

"It does not take much to pry the truth from me," Babette replied, a flirtatiously challenging smile playing about her lips.

Never one to resist temptation, for he was only human and thus weak against the charms of a temptress, Lumière stole another fervent kiss. "I should be insulted by that," he said. "But I must remind myself that the lady is tired, and satisfied; therefore she is surely unable to think properly before she speaks."

"Indeed," she agreed, nuzzling into his neck before gracing it with a kiss. "Monsieur must forgive me."

Lumière grinned adoringly. "Of course I do." When her eyes started to flutter dazedly into sleep again, he added, "To show such forgiveness, I ask permission to escort mademoiselle to her much more comfortable room."

Babette smiled sweetly. "I would not dream of denying you the honor then."

After both were dressed once more, Lumière gathered her into his arms, carrying her upstairs to her room. Placing her gently on her bed, he tucked her in as one would a child before turning to leave, but he stopped when he felt Babette touch his arm.

"Stay with me," she whispered pleadingly.

Lumière laughed as he sat down beside her. "The lady is utterly insatiable," he said.

Babette pouted adorably. "Please stay," she entreated. "I do not want to sleep here alone, not without you."

Lumière sighed, but smiled as he made himself comfortable. Babette snuggled under his arm, closing her eyes as she pillowed her cheek contently in the crook of his neck.

"Lumière?" she muttered sleepily.

"What is it, chérie?" he asked, soothingly caressing her back to lull her to sleep.

"Mmm," she purred in approval before she spoke one last time that evening. "Je t'aime, mon cher."

Lumière grinned, slipping away into slumber happily for the first time in so long.

"Je t'adore, mon amour."

* * *

**_See final chapter for review acknowledgement. :-)_**


	16. Epilogue

_Quick A/N: Yes, I did throw in a historical inaccuracy on purpose with the use of a bottle; please do not shoot me down for it, I am begging you. :-) It needed to be done so I followed in the tradition of B&B's use of inaccuracies for the sake of the spectacle. LOL Thank you._

_Epilogue: One Year Later…_

A monotonous intonation of Latin that could too easily dull a person's senses; that was all that Lumière could remember from that ominous day. That and hearing the little prince crying in Mrs. Potts' arms. The boy was officially orphaned and alone now that his father rested in the ground, buried beside his mother.

Earlier that year, the queen had delivered a healthy little boy whom they named Vincent, "Conqueror". The name suited him, especially during the first few minutes of his life. While the child had conquered possible death to take his place amongst the living, his mother had not been so fortunate. The young queen died in childbirth that very evening.

The king was devastated, and while he lived on for quite some time after the queen's passing, he might as well have been dead himself. He never left his bed, except to sit at the grave of the wife he loved and mourned, but the poor man did not stand a chance against death. Many called it heartbreak, others deemed it self-negligence; whatever the cause, he passed away soon after the queen, clearly wanting to be with her again as soon as possible.

On the eve of his funeral, the king's brother, Auguste, was deemed the official ruler of France until Vincent was of age to claim the throne. The young prince regent had no trouble accepting the title, but he refused to take on the task of raising his infant nephew, claiming that was a duty of servants. Therefore, the castle's staff was named Vincent's guardians, assuming the responsibility of raising the child and seeing that he was properly educated in the royal ways over time.

Lumière sighed as he put an end to remembering the horrific past. Upon reaching the royal chambers in the West Wing, the most lavish wing in the castle when it came to size and décor, he knocked softly on the door. Mrs. Potts answered it moments later, gesturing for silence.

"He fell asleep some time ago," she whispered, leading Lumière to the sleeping baby in the bassinet at the far end of the room. "Poor little babe, he has been crying all day; nothing but sleep has soothed him."

Lumière solemnly gazed at the prince. "I would cry too if I were if I were him," he agreed. "But I will watch over him for the evening; you need your rest just as much as the rest of us."

Mrs. Potts nodded gratefully, looking down at the baby one last time before she left, shaking her head in dismay at his loss.

Lumière wasted no time in pulling a chair next to the bassinet, watching the child intently. Thrust into surrogate parenthood with the rest, he had been frightened at first; after all, he did not know the first thing about raising a child. But natural instinct was thankfully stronger than fear, and it was not long before he had taken a liking to his tiny master.

These sparse but often peaceful moments, however, when Vincent was fast asleep were most preferred by all; Lumière himself was not an exception. Attempting to calm a hysterical infant was never an easy task. But at the same time, the periods of slumber left little to do but watch him, and at night, after a long day, it was more difficult to stay awake. In result, Lumière had drifted off to sleep himself, snoring quietly in unison with the baby's gentle breathing.

He bolted awake a few seconds later when he felt an unexpected tap on his shoulder.

"Wha-what is it? Who is…?" he stuttered, prepared to think of an excuse as to why he was sleeping rather than giving the prince his undivided attention. But realization struck when Babette quickly covered his mouth.

"You fool, do you _want_ him to wake up?" she hissed quietly. "It is bad enough that we hardly see one another lately; must you almost ruin the few precious moments we have?"

Lumière glanced at Vincent, fearful that he would find the child wide awake and about to cry, but fortunately, he was still asleep. Thus, taking Babette's hand, Lumière silently led her to a far corner, drawing her into his embrace; she in turn kissed him passionately, unable to wait any longer.

"Mmm, not now," he groaned pleadingly, breaking away from her grasp unwillingly. "He could awaken at any moment; we can not take the chance."

Babette sighed irritated, turning her back to him as she pulled herself away. "We never take chances anymore," she said angrily. "He is fast asleep; it is the perfect time. I doubt you would want him to be awake when we are together."

"Of course, I don't want him to be awake then," Lumière said, wrapping his arms around her from behind as his lips explored familiar territory at her neck. "No child should know how he came to be until he is grown."

Babette leaned back against him. "I miss this so much," she whispered, gradually growing incoherent under his ministrations. "I feel as though I never see you anymore."

"It has not been easy for any of us, mon amour," Lumière replied, resting his head on her shoulder comfortably. "None of us planned on events occurring the way they did."

Babette turned to face him, embracing him tightly and intently gazing into his eyes as he touched his forehead to her own. "I know, but that does not mean life has to stop for all of us," she said with a moping pout.

Lumière sighed in frustration, returning to the bassinet with Babette in tow. Standing her in front of it, Lumière spoke softly, but sternly. "Look at him, amour; a small child who can not even lift his head without our help. His parents are dead, and his uncle will have nothing to do with him. We are the closest family that the boy has left. He needs us, all of us, including you and I, and while I can not speak for you, I will not abandon him."

Babette looked down at the sleeping child, taking in everything Lumière had said with an open mind. "All right, you win," she muttered in defeat, before she turned to Lumière. "But that still does not atone for our minimal time together. I know that you will do what you must, and if any more help is needed, I will do what I can. But…I miss you. I want you back beside me at night; why must you always take your turn during the evening hours?"

"I want you at my side as well," Lumière replied with reassurance as he sat down in his chair again and drew her onto his lap. "What is stopping you from joining me? I am perfectly content to simply hold you in my arms as sleep takes hold, mon amour; you know that."

"But, mon cher," Babette protested with a coy grin. "Sleep is not quite exactly what I have in mind on certain evenings."

"Patience, chérie, and I will see what I can do on such nights as those," Lumière promised, smirking playfully, before he raised the seriousness in his tone. "For now, I am stationed here, and must do my duty to our little prince. I intend to be ready should he call for me in his own distinct—and unfortunately loud—way."

Babette shook her head with a sigh. "If we are all not careful," she said warningly. "We are going to spoil that child so rotten, he will not know a person from common household objects. No doubt that being a royal, he shall see us as mere objects to serve him one of these days."

Lumière nuzzled against her shoulder. "You are worrying too much about nonsense, amour," he said. "We can not refuse him anything he needs, but that does not mean we can not teach him right from wrong. He will be a fine young man when he is older, you'll see."

Babette kissed his forehead gently and was about to respond when Vincent decided to make his presence known with an unexpected shriek and tantrum. If Lumière had jumped from the chair any faster, she was certain that she would be lying in a heap on the floor. Heaven forbid the child not be attended to at the exact second he begins to cry, she thought bitterly.

Lumière gathered the tiny babe in his arms, ever so carefully as if Vincent would break if one of Lumière's fingers were out of place when he held him.

"Shh, hush now, mon petit," he cooed soothingly, but Vincent refused to end his tears. Lumière searched the room quickly before his eyes fell on a filled nursing bottle. Deciding there was nothing to lose in trying, he tried to coax the boy to drink, and thankfully, it seemed to pacify Vincent into a peaceful mood.

Babette sulked as she watched the pair. "I rest my case," she said. "Practice your jumping, Lumière, because very soon, the only two words you will need to know are 'how high?'"

Lumière narrowed his eyes at her before he came up with a thought. Turning the baby and the bottle over to her despite her protesting, he said, "With all due respect, chérie, if you believe you can handle him better, then do it."

Babette scowled at Lumière before she sat on a chaise with the baby whimpering in her arms in result of his meal being disturbed. Typical, she thought sarcastically, immediately allowing him to ravenously continuing his feeding. For a long while, she wanted nothing more than to give him a sound strangling…but after some time, she felt her cold feelings melt. Vincent's darling blue eyes seemed to be filled with an innocent sort of gratitude, and Babette found herself unable to resist a smile as she succumbed to his childlike charm.

Glancing back at Lumière, who had taken a seat beside her, Babette muttered, "You never fight fairly."

"Neither do you," he countered with a smirk before taking in the entire scene. "I do not doubt that you would make a wonderful mother should you ever wish to be one."

Babette shrugged gently, attempting not to disrupt Vincent unnecessarily. "Perhaps, but certainly not any time soon. I want to enjoy life as long as I possibly can before settling down." She smiled tenderly. "More importantly, I want to have you all to myself before we decide on a future together."

Lumière grinned, reaching to brush away a lax curl from her face. "My wishes exactly," he murmured affectionately.

Babette mirrored the grin before once again bestowing her complete attention on Vincent, who had finished his meal somewhere in the midst of the couple's sharing of sentiments. Rising to place him once more in the bassinet after patting his back gently to soothe him, Babette watched as he once again fell asleep before returning to Lumière.

"All right, so perhaps he is not as irritating as he appears," she admitted.

"Well that, yes, but of course there is the fact that all men, young and old, can not resist the beauty of a stunning woman like yourself," Lumière said decisively with a smirk. Resting flat against the chaise, he gently drew her close to rest against him.

Babette grinned, resting her chin on her arms as they folded across his chest. "Hmm, flattery," she said. "What pray tell could the man possibly want?"

"What I truly want is not possible at present as you know," Lumière answered, smiling. "But I would have no qualms about settling for a pleasant rest with you in my arms."

"Anything else?" Babette asked teasingly, her grin broadening.

Lumière appeared to be deep in thought before he added, "Ah hah, and a simple 'I love you' could not hurt either."

Babette smiled warmly and genuinely. "Lumière?"

"Oui?"

"I love you."

Lumière smiled, holding her close. "I love you too…with all my heart."

As Babette comfortably settled against him, closing her eyes to rest, Lumière breathed a sigh of contentment at his good fortune. Love could sometimes be a rickety carriage on the road of life, but he would never give it up for the world. He had meant what he said; he loved this woman with every ounce of his being. No matter how questionable their romance might have been at times, he was certain in his heart that it would live on forever and a day throughout eternity.

_**The End.**_

* * *

_I am seriously ready to cry as I go into my traditional general review acknowledgement. I am very proud of this fanfiction as it challenged many aspects of my writing and standards, as well as it being a solid story inspired by a professional theory. I want to thank all of my reviewers, the writers' workshop group on MSN who has stuck by me through it all, and of course, my "boss" Peter Flynn for allowing me to run with his thoughts and have a blast with it. I could never fully express how much I appreciate it all. _

_Once again, my gratitude to everyone, and I swear, I'll be back with more as soon as the muse strikes. Faith, out!_


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